Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate
by wpnsiu86
Summary: Kira Yamato and Tolle Koenig were about to earn their first million when Freeport 7 was attacked. Little did they know than an unexpected truth would change their lives forever. Gundam Seed and Freelancer crossover. Chapter 18 posted!
1. Prologue: Deal of a Lifetime

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

* * *

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Author's Note: **Hi there! This fanfic is a crossover between Gundam Seed and one of my favorite games, Freelancer (a space combat simulator). The majority of the characters will come from Gundam Seed, whereas the story will be a mix between the original Freelancer plot, some parts of the Gundam Seed storyline, and some of my own original ideas. For those familiar with the Freelancer storyline, I'm sorry to say that I do not plan to include the Nomads in this story.

You will find that some characters will be a little OOC to better suit the story (Kira, for example, cries less… thank goodness). I will also be adding a few OCs here and there.

Enough said. I will go on with the prologue now. Enjoy!

* * *

_It was the 23rd century_

_Mankind's darkest hour_

_The war had been raging for almost a hundred years_

_We had been fighting for so long _

_No one could remember the reason why it started in the first place_

_All we knew there were two sides..._

_The Coalition and the Alliance_

_For decades, millions died for the same piece of rock_

_Again... and again..._

_Finally, one side manage to gain the upper hand_

_The Coalition..._

_In desperation, The Alliance launched five sleeper ships_

_The hope was, for them to begin again,_

_Far for the wars and strive that have befallen Earth_

_To start free from the prejudices that has divided us for so long_

_Each sleeper ships was christened after its patron nations_

_The Bretonia_

_The Rheinland_

_The Hispania_

_The Kusari_

_The Liberty_

_Against all odds, the colony ships broke through the Coalition blockade,_

_And headed for the Sirius system_

_That was 800 years ago_

_When we came here to rebuilt our lives_

_We've come a long way since then_

_We have grown_

_We have prospered_

_We have flourished_

_But, we will never forget..._

* * *

**Prologue: Deal of a Lifetime**

**Freeport 7, Sigma 17 System**

The triple suns of the Sigma 17 System never failed to amaze Kira as he marveled at their beauty. Few systems in Sirius can match the visual beauty of the Sigma 17 System, and none had the system's triple suns configuration. Yet beneath the beauty of the system was the less than desirable presence of the two largest and most notorious organizations in the whole of Sirius. Their presence, as well as the existence of a sizeable radiation field made Sigma 17 a pretty rough place for amateurs to play around. The probability of anybody finding himself in the wrong place and at the wrong time was high in the Sigma 17 System.

Kira sighed deeply as he waited for his turn to dock with Freeport 7. A large structure consisting of a central core and several branches, each housing a biodome capable of providing vast supplies of food and water, Freeport 7 is one of the largest of its kind. Run by the Zoners, the massive space station was a popular choice for traders and criminals alike. Maintaining a policy of neutrality, the Zoners would grant anyone access to their territories as long as they did not step on their tails.

_Understood. Your request to dock is granted. Proceed to dock 5._

_Finally. _Kira had waited long enough. He immediately brought power to the engines of the Rhino freighter he was piloting. Preferring to do the piloting himself instead of letting the auto-pilot system do the work, Kira slowly brought the cumbersome vessel towards the assigned dock.

Taking a few seconds off the piloting, Kira turned his attention to a young man roughly the same age as him, "Wake up, Tolle."

"Mmmm…"

"Come on, we've reached. Stop sleeping," Kira did not hesitate to give his half asleep friend a wake up call. As always, Tolle was the king of procrastinating, and Kira was having a hard time waking him up.

It took a while before Tolle gave in to Kira's persistence.

"Fine, I'm getting up," Tolle finally conceded to Kira's non-stop pestering, "So this is Freeport 7 huh?"

"Pretty impressive, isn't it," Kira said as he carefully brought the slow and cumbersome freighter down to the landing pad, "The Zoners are probably the only ones capable of building such an impressive space station. I heard that unlike other space stations, the Freeports are self sufficient."

Still feeling a little drowsy, Tolle stretched out his arms in a bid to drive away his snoozy mode, "Oops, sorry," Tolle said as his outstretched right arm hit Kira straight on the head.

Kira had no idea whether Tolle did that accidentally or intentionally; he just could not tell considering the playful nature of Tolle. The brunet remained silent, though, as he had to stay focused on the current task ahead. First, Kira had to bring the large freighter through the dock entrance and into one of the many elevators. Next, he had to bring that large vessel out of the elevator and onto the assigned landing pad he was earlier given. Landing a space craft was even more tedious than flying one, and Kira had to give his full attention to the landing sequence to avoid crashing into anything, especially since his Rhino freighter was a rather large vessel.

"Say, Kira, what's the name of that guy again?" Tolle followed his question with a loud and contagious yawn.

"Yuna Roma Seiran," Kira was sure Tolle had asked this question before, "Honestly, you should really start to remember things, you know."

"Guess you're right," Tolle felt a little guilty of his forgetfulness, "I'll remember next time. Anyway, today's our big day, Kira. It's time we earn some credits."

"I totally agree," Kira quipped as the freighter finally settled safely on the landing pad.

Best friends since young, Kira Yamato and Tolle Koenig had left Bretonia a few months back to try their luck at making a fortune. Despite objections of galactic proportions from their family members and friends, the two of them still went off on their journey. Equipped with just a lone Rhino freighter, Kira and Tolle attempted to make it big in the real world. Their get rich quick scheme had been rather unsuccessful until the pair of greenhorns ended up in the Border Worlds (not exactly the nicest place). There, Kira somehow managed to get his hands on a huge amount of quasi-legal boron (a type of commodity used for trading) at a ridiculously low price.

In another stroke of unbelievably good luck, Tolle was contacted by a stranger working for Samura Industries, one of the most powerful companies in House Kusari. After meeting an employee from Samura Industries in Kurile, a planet in the Sigma 17 System, Kira and Tolle managed to strike a deal. The agreement was to have the company paying the two Bretonians one million credits for the entire shipment of boron. And as discussed earlier, the million credits deal would be sealed in Freeport 7. The man Kira and Tolle were supposed to meet was a man by the name of Yuna Roma Seiran.

Of course, the fact that the two fortunate buddies were still alive and kicking was quite an achievement in itself.

Excited by the prospect of earning their first million, Kira and Tolle darted to the pre-arranged meeting place the moment their freighter was secured on the landing pad. Tolle was especially enthusiastic, the earlier drowsiness he had long gone. Nothing was going to stop him from earning those million credits. Nothing was going to ruin his big day.

**Freeport 7 Bar**

"Gosh, I thought his name sounded gay enough. Never expect him to look gay as well," Tolle whispered to Kira as a slim man with purple hair stood in front of them. His head slightly tilted upwards, Yuna looked more like an arrogant brat from a rich family than an experienced trader that he claimed to be.

"That's not very nice, Tolle," Kira responded by softly elbowing his friend at the side, "Even if it's true."

Tolle nearly burst out laughing upon hearing Kira's words, but he was able to control himself, fortunately. Oblivious to what Kira and Tolle had said, Yuna thought that the two youngsters he had just met were singing his praises. Always calling himself a veteran trader, Yuna sure had a sky high ego to feed. He would not admit it, but Yuna owed much of his success to his father's influence in Kusari.

Proud as ever, Yuna was the first to speak, "So, I presume your shipment is in good condition, right?"

"Yup," a slightly irritated Tolle answered rather rudely, which peeved Yuna a bit.

"3.5 metric tonnes of boron. I believe one of my agents had verified the goods at Kurile, right?" Yuna continued with his arrogant attitude, obviously looking down at the two youngsters.

Kira and Tolle nodded their heads earnestly.

"Fine," Yuna started taking out a whole bunch of contract papers, "Sign here… here… let's see… here…. no, wait… here… that's right…"

"Isn't that where you're supposed to sign?"

"Really? Well, sign here then. You better not sign at the wrong place, Mr. Yamato."

_Does this guy even know what he's doing? _Tolle could have sworn that Yuna looked like a total blockhead to him. Kira, on the other hand, just obediently scribbled his signature on wherever Yuna pointed his fingers at.

**Unknown ship, some distance away from Freeport 7**

"You look disappointed, Ades," Rau Le Creuset said as he moved towards the bridge's table top radar monitor.

The captain's chair swiveled back as Ades turned to face his commander, "Well, I guess we won't be too late until we hear from the council…"

"It will be too late," Rau interrupted, "My sixth sense is telling me so. If we let things slip now, we will eventually have to pay with our lives."

Ades kept silent as Rau showed him a few classified pictures taken by his spies.

Rau saw that Ades had no answer, "Liberty's new weapons; they must be seized before they can be used against us. Furthermore, we will get to get rid of an extremely dangerous existence at the same time. Miss this chance, and we will might not even have the chance to regret about our failure."

One of the ship's crew received a coded message from Rau's operatives on Freeport 7, "Commander! Our infiltration team confirmed the presence of two of Liberty's new weapons! They have successfully taken control of the two weapons!"

"Which one of them has the one with stealth capabilities?" Rau asked.

The bridge crew replied immediately, "Nicole has it, Commander."

Rau smiled, "Have Dearka return immediately. Nicole is to destroy Freeport 7 and any survivors as discretely as possible. Make sure no one survives."

"Yes Sir!" the crew replied.

**Freeport 7 Bar**

"Is that all?" Kira asked, his hands hurting a little from the countless papers Yuna had at his disposal.

"Well…" Yuna rubbed his chins, "I believe we're done."

_Finally!_ Tolle let out a sigh of relief as the deal was close to being done. The last ten minutes had been about Yuna trying to figure out where Kira had to sign. With the million credits within his grasps, Tolle was starting to lose his patience.

"That's it! I will have the million credits transferred to your neural net by tomorrow morning," Yuna announced as he stood up and offered a handshake to Kira.

Kira was surprised that Yuna had offered a handshake, "Arh… thanks! It has been great working with you!"

Yuna gave Kira a short handshake and turned towards the exit of the bar. Vain as he was, Yuna used one of the bar's windows, which faced the dark expense of space outside, as a mirror. With the triple suns of the Sigma 17 System as a backdrop, the vain Yuna intended to use the windows to check his "appearance". But before Yuna could even make any adjustments, his eyes caught sight of something weird outside of Freeport 7.

"There's… something…" pointing outside of the window with his trembling fingers, Yuna was about to make a huge boo-hah over what he saw when the space station was rocked hard.

"Argh!!!" Yuna let out a high pitch shriek as the entire bar shook violently as if there was an earthquake.

Kira and Tolle's first instinct was to fall flat on the ground and shield their heads with their palms. They certainly did not want any falling object to hit the back of their heads. Yuna, however, just remained rooted to his spot. Whatever Yuna saw outside the space station was preventing him from making any sane decisions. Before Yuna could open his big mouth again, one of the ceiling lights came crashing down on him.

"Argh!!!" another high pitch shriek and Yuna was out cold.

_Warning! Warning! Unknown units have breached the defense perimeter. All personnel, man all stations. To all civilians and visitors, please proceed to the rescue vessels at dock 7. _The space station's announcement system blared loudly as Freeport 7 took more hits from a mysterious enemy.

"Kira! What are you doing? We've got to return to our ship! The whole place is falling apart!" Tolle shouted as Kira remained at his position.

Ignoring Tolle, Kira inched towards Yuna, "We've got to help him!"

"Worry about yourself, Kira!" Tolle shouted at the top of his lungs.

Kira shook his head and pointed his fingers at the unconscious Yuna, "One million credits!"

_Crap… what was I thinking? I nearly dumped my million credits away! _Tolle rushed to Yuna's side immediately, "What are you waiting for, Kira? Get him to our ship!"

**Outside Freeport 7**

In response to the sudden attack on Freeport 7, several fighter wings were sent out to deal with the enemy. Comprising mostly of "Hawk" Heavy Fighters and a few "Eagle" Very Heavy Fighters, the pilots were shocked at the scene that greeted them.

There was no sign of the enemy in the vicinity.

"What the hell? I was sort of expecting a whole bunch of enemy ships," one of the pilots said as he stared at the emptiness ahead of him, partly disappointed that the "awesome" battle he was anticipating turned out to be an empty expense of space.

"It's as if the enemy is invisible or something," the other pilot had no idea how right he was, for his ship was blown to bits by a beam shot from nowhere a few seconds later.

"Dennis! No!" the squad leader shouted in despair as his teammate was killed instantly, "Where are the enemies!? Freeport 7 Command, this is alpha leader, locate the enemy quick!"

"Alpha leader, this is Freeport 7 Command. Our long range sensors are not picking up any hostile forces!" the reply was far from satisfactory.

"What do you mean by that!? How could the enemy fire on us if they're not… ARGH!!!" the communications channel was replaced with a buzz as the fighters were taken out one by one by an unknown force.

"Freaking hell! What is happening!?" one of the pilots exclaimed in shock before his Hawk fighter was shredded to pieces.

"Alpha leader, alpha leader! What's your status? I repeat. What's your status?" the Freeport 7 Command called out frantically as the communications channel was filled with screams and desperate cries for help, "All wings, report your status!"

There was no reply.

"To all ships in the area, this is Freeport 7. We're under attack by unknown forces! Request for assistance!" the Freeport 7 command hailed desperately for help, "I repeat! We're under attack by unknown forces! Request for assis… …"

**Rescue vessel**

"Oh my goodness!" Tolle, who was lucky enough to get a "window" seat in the cramped rescue vessel, exclaimed in shock as Freeport 7 was vaporized, "Kira! Did you see that?"

"Yup," Kira nodded his head unenthusiastically. Having a massive space station exploding before you isn't the most inspiring sight.

As soon as Freeport 7 was destroyed, the cruise engines of the rescue vessel kicked in, propelling the vessel forward at great speeds. The scattered remains of Freeport 7 soon disappeared from view as the rescue vessel brought the few lucky survivors out of the system.

What was supposed to be a great day had turned out to be a fiery one, literally. _This is supposed to be the deal of a lifetime. _Kira shook his head in dismay at the sudden turn of events.

**Unknown ship**

"So some of them got away. As usual, Nicole's too soft for his own good," Rau commented as he read the report.

"What do we do now?" Ades asked.

"No worries. We have operatives throughout the colonies. Those few lucky survivors will be taken care of," Rau replied.

Ades asked again, "Do we proceed now?"

Rau nodded, "Of course. Set course for Zone 21. We shall capture Liberty's remaining toys."

_**End of Prologue**_

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_**There you have it, my story's prologue. The first chapter will focus on the aftermath of the destruction of Freeport 7. Kira and Tolle will meet some interesting people on Planet Manhattan (a planet in the New York System). **_

_**This story will feature some ships from Freelancer (the Rhino is one of them) and quite a number of mobile suits/ armors, battleships as well as technology from Gundam Seed. Please note that at this point of the story, mobile suits are still not in use (at least publicly) except for House Rheinland, which uses the GINN. Therefore, do not expect Kira to get his hands on the Strike (yes, he will pilot the Strike at some point) until a few chapters later. The next chapter is just some background information on the Freelancer universe. Check it out if you're unfamiliar with it. Chapter One will be out in around one week.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Brief Intro to Freelancer Universe

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Author's Note: **A little introduction on the Freelancer Universe, especially since the majority of you will be unfamiliar with it. Please do note that I will add or remove some facts to better suit my story. I will update this once in a while to avoid spoilers.

**Last Updated: 16 Dec 2007 _ (added "Identifying approx. location of a base within a system")_  
**

* * *

**Brief Introduction to Freelancer Universe**

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**Ok… so where exactly does Freelancer takes place?**

* * *

The game Freelancer takes place in the Sirius Sector, which consists of 49 star systems (of which 2 are unnamed). Each system normally contains a few planets (many of which can be landed upon), space stations, trade lanes (for rapid travel within systems), asteroid and debris fields, dust and ice clouds, etc. The universe is divided into seven sectors - Liberty, Bretonia, Kusari, Rheinland, the Independent Worlds, the Border Worlds, and the mysterious Edge Worlds.

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**How did humans end up in the Sirius Sector?**

* * *

The answer is in the prologue, after the author's note, in the whole chunk of italics. That chunk of italics is taken from the introductory video of the Freelancer PC Game. Check out youtube if you want to see the video (just type "freelancer intro"). 

In case you don't get it, there was a war on Earth in the 23rd century and a group of people (The Alliance) decided to escape the war. Five sleeper ships were launched into the Sirius Sector and they would form the population in the Sirius Sector.

* * *

**What types of ships are available in Freelancer?**

* * *

In the Freelancer World, ships are divided into several classes. They are the light fighters, heavy fighters, very heavy fighters and freighters. Light fighters are the smallest and most maneuverable ships, but they have weaker firepower and armor. The very heavy fighters are the complete opposite, less maneuverable but hard hitting. Freighters are… well… freighters. I will not be using all the ships in the actual game, but a good number of them will appear.

* * *

**How do you travel between systems/ planets/ etc?**

* * *

Cruise Engines: All ships are equipped with cruise engines, which allow them to be propelled at fairly high speeds, at the cost of the ability to use weaponry. 

Trade Lanes: Trade Lanes are a network of free-floating satellites that allow for extremely fast travel within a star system, allowing the player to travel between system features (planets and stations usually) in less than a minute.

Jump Gates: Man-made technology that allows for traveling between star systems.

Jump Holes: Allows for inter-system travel, but is not man-made (similar to a wormhole). Usually hidden inside an asteroid field or nebula, Jump Holes are usually used by criminals.

* * *

**Can ships in Freelancer re-enter atmosphere on their own?**

* * *

The answer is NO. Ships in Freelancer, whether they are fighter ships or freighters, cannot re-enter the atmosphere of any planet. Fortunately, planets that are habitable usually have docking rings. These docking rings allow ships to re-enter atmosphere safely. However, this also means that a particular planet can decide who can or cannot land on that planet. Destroying a planet's docking ring also means that ships can no longer enter of leave the affected planet.

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**What is a "neural net"?**

* * *

The Neural Net is the on-board computer interface that is used for everything from tracking enemies to conduct trading. It also serves as a personal journal of sorts. It retains information you gather while exploring the universe that can be recalled at any time. It is your map of the stars, it holds your reputation indicator, it shows your cargo, where you are currently located and helps you determine where you want to go. It is the heart and soul of your ship/ mobile suit and it's always there to be of assistance if you need information.

* * *

**Other weapons used in Freelancer…**

* * *

Cruise Disruptors: Missiles that are used specifically to take out an enemy ship's cruise engines, effectively ending their ability to flee. 

Countermeasures: A Countermeasure dropper dispenses an expendable "package" of light, heat and electromagnetic radiation that attracts the attention incoming ordinance and draws it away from the ship.

* * *

**What are the major governments/ factions in the Sirius Sector?**

* * *

There are four main governments in the Sirius Sector known as Houses. The four Houses are Liberty, Bretonia, Rheinland and Kusari. Other major factions include the criminal organizations, Outcasts and Corsairs, and the Zoners.

* * *

**Brief Introduction of House Liberty**

* * *

The colony ship _Liberty_ was commissioned by the Americans and was the first to arrive in the Sirius sector. The colonists settled in the center of Sirius space, where the highest number of main sequence stars and Earth-like planets existed. Liberty is a very capitalistic colony, cherishing free trade above all else. Its location at the center of Sirius has made it extremely rich off of inter-colonial trade, and Liberty's military forces have the protection of free commerce as their primary mission objective.

* * *

**Brief Introduction of House Bretonia**

* * *

The Bretonian systems were founded by the inhabitants of the British sleeper ship _Bretonia_. The ship arrived a full 20 years after the Liberty. The region is now ruled over by a monarch and its capital is Planet New London. 

By the time the Bretonia arrived, most of the resource rich areas of the sector had already been claimed by the passengers of the Rheinland and Kusari, while the Liberty had settled the lush planets at the sector core. Bretonia was forced to select a less than ideal site near the Barrier, a giant belt of ice that spans the entire western half of the Sirius Sector. Here they established the colony of New London, on one of the few habitable planets in the area. Isolated by the Barrier from the other houses and years behind, Bretonia began an accelerated program of rebuilding their industrial civilization.

Bretonia is considered the second safest region in the Sirius Sector, after Liberty.

* * *

**Brief Introduction of House Rheinland**

* * *

The sleeper ship _Rheinland_ made planetfall on an area close to the Walker Nebula and rich in natural resources. 

Rheinland is by far the most powerful of the major houses; even with it's stripped down military, which has been reduced drastically after a devastating war against the GMG (80 Years War). An industrial and nationalistic people, the Germans brought their traits with them to the Rheinland and produced an economic powerhouse that has seen better days. Rheinland was blessed with food and more resources than it knew what to do with, save for H-fuel, the critical fuel for space flight. Rheinland launched an all-out war against the GMG to seize the gas fields of the Sigma systems, but was pushed back and utterly crushed in a daring GMG ambush a few years ago.

The debts from the Great War paralyzed the economy and the once powerful nation slid into a tailspin. Chancellors were elected, tax reforms were launched, economic incentives were initiated, but nothing save for selling off Rheinland's precious resources to Liberty's corporations could keep the nation afloat.

* * *

**Brief Introduction of House Kusari**

* * *

The Kusari systems were founded by the inhabitants of the Japanese sleeper ship Kusari. This house is ruled by a feudal system, in contrast to the single leaders of the other nations. The capital of Kusari space is Planet New Tokyo. 

Kusari was generally poor in natural resources, although the New Tokyo system did contain limited deposits of aluminum and titanium, which enabled Kusari shipbuilders to be relatively self-sufficient, at least for the first three centuries after arrival. The surrounding Crow Nebula had little in the way of asteroid fields found in such abundance in the Walker and Barrier regions. It did offer one key resource, however, that the entire Sirius Sector needed. Virtually unlimited supplies of Helium-3 and Deuterium were present inside the great clouds of ionized gases in the nearby Sigma systems. Both isotopes were quite rare on planets, but essential for the fusion engines that powered spacecraft of all sizes. Kusari soon became the exclusive supplier of H-fuel, as they called it, to all of the colonies. H-fuel was the foreign currency source that allowed Kusari companies to purchase the many raw materials found in the other colonies that Kusari lacked.

Samura Industries and Kishiro Technologies form Kusari's two great industrial conglomerates.

* * *

**List of Liberty Factions**

* * *

Liberty Police: Liberty Police, Inc. (LPI) is a private company that handles the policing of Liberty space to interdict the importation of contraband and to prevent attacks on civilian and commercial traffic. 

Liberty Navy: The Liberty Navy is responsible for protecting the economic well-being of Liberty through military force, both within the boundaries of the colony and in the independent systems that border its territory.

Liberty Security Force: The Liberty Security Force (LSF) is the intelligence branch of the Liberty Armed Forces, operating in secrecy to ensure the free flow of goods and services in the Liberty economy. The LSF is so secret, in fact, that one rarely encounters them, although LSF officer Jun'ko Zane has been known to actively recruit freelancers to do the LSF's dirty work. LSF personnel are widely respected in the Liberty Military.

Interspace Commerce: Interspace Commerce (IC) is one of the "Big Three" Liberty companies and insures cargo carried within the colonies and into the Border Worlds.

Ageira Technologies: Ageira Technologies is one of the "Big Three" Liberty companies and is responsible for the development of Jump Gate and Trade Lane technology.

Universal Shipping: Universal Shipping is on of the "Big Three" Liberty companies and specialized in the shipping of high-risk, high-value cargo.

Synth Foods: Synth Foods is the Liberty firm responsible for the revolutionary Food product Synth Paste and a highly successful line of Food-producing biodomes.

Liberty Rogues: Rogues are a motley assortment of petty criminals who operate mainly in Liberty, attacking targets of opportunity or occasionally working for larger criminal organizations.

Lane Hackers: The Lane Hackers are a criminal group with the technical expertise to monitor and disrupt Trade Lanes for the purpose of seizing valuable cargo.

* * *

**List of Rheinland Factions**

* * *

Rheinland Police: Rheinland Federal Police is an impressively well-equipped organization acting as the primary security force in Rheinland space. 

Rheinland Military: Rheinland Military continues a proud tradition of military service that stretches back several centuries.

* * *

**List of Bretonia Factions**

* * *

Bretonia Police: Officers in the Bretonia Police Authority are well-trained, well-armed, and widely considered to be a bastion of incorruptibility. 

Bretonia Armed Forces: The Bretonia Armed Forces has a long history of serving as the first & last line of defense for the great nation Bretonia.

* * *

**Independent Factions**

* * *

Bounty Hunters Guild: The Bounty Hunters Guild originally began in Texas but has spread to almost every system in Sirius, providing a broad array of security-oriented serviced for a reasonable fee. 

Gas Miners Guild (GMG): The GMG is a tight-knit professional organization that acts as the primary supplier of H-Fuel to the four major Houses.

Outcasts: Little information is available about the Outcasts, but they are believed to be heavily involved in the trafficking of the drug Cardamine.

Corsairs: The Corsairs are believed to be the largest criminal organization operating in Sirius - frequently attacking civilian, commercial, and even military targets.

Zoners: Zoners are a diverse group of individuals who, for various reasons, have decided to live in the wild unregulated systems outside of colonial control.

* * *

**Identifying the approximate location of a base within a system**

* * *

Throughout the course of the story, you will find me describing certain locations based on their sectors (i.e. Sector 4D, 6E, 2G, etc.). The sectors are determined by reading the vertical coordinates followed by the horizontal coordinates. 

1--y---------

2------------

3---------x--

---A--B--C--

For example, if I say a base is located in Sector 3C, it is located at the South-East corner of the above map (point "x"). A base located in Sector 1A will be at the North-West corner of the map (point "y"). The sun(s) of each system is usually located at the center of the entire map.

Freelancer maps have vertical coordinates ranging from 1 to 8, and horizontal coordinates from A to H. For a full sized map, Sector 3C is located slightly North-West of the sun while Sector 1A is at the top left hand corner (north-west).

* * *

**List of Liberty Systems**

* * *

New York System

New York is the capital of Liberty and the geographical center of the Sirius Sector. The system contains two settled planets, eleven bases and a third, uninhabited planet. There are jump gates/holes to five different systems, and the system orbits a single medium-sized white star.

Colorado System

Colorado was once the mining and industrial center of Liberty, but little remains of that. The system is littered with mined out asteroid fields, a legacy of centuries of silver and copper mining.

California System

California is the one of the richest systems in Liberty. Shortly after the settlement of Texas, an exploratory vessel in search of additional arable planets stumbled upon a relative paradise at the edge of the Barrier, with abundant land for the taking. Descendents of Californians from earth named it after their long lost land.

Texas System

The Texas system is, more or less, a prison system. It contains four planets, only one being inhabited, four bases and connections to four different systems.

Alaska System

Not much is known about this system. Only the Prison Station Mitchell and the Juneau Shipyards exist here.

* * *

**Useful Sites for More Information**

* * *

www(dot)lancersreactor(dot)com 

http://freelancer(dot)wikia(dot)com

www(dot)battleclinic(dot)com

http://au(dot)pc(dot)ign(dot)com/objects/011/011219(dot)html

* * *

_**That's it for my short Freelancer FAQ. Please take note that I will not be using all the factions mentioned here. I only listed them so that you will not be lost should some of them be mentioned briefly at any point of the story. **__**As stated at the beginning, I will update this page as the story moves along, so do check back here once in a while.**_

_**I highly recommend you to check out the above mentioned sites as they are highly detailed and will aid you greatly when it comes to identifying different locations or factions.**_


	3. Technical Specs

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Mobile Weapons/ Fighter Ships/ Battleships Profile**

**Author's Note: **Only detailed specs of mobile suits and battleships created by me will be put up. For those that are originally found in the Gundam Seed storyline, I will only provide their operators and a brief description of their roles in this crossover universe created by me. I will also provide details of any Freelancer ships that I use in the story.

This chapter will be updated regularly as the story goes. Before I continue, please take note of the following:

1) Mobile suit technology is still pretty new at the start of the story. Therefore, the GINN is just about the only mobile suit you will see in the first few chapters.

2) I will be using mainly C.E technology in terms of weapons and stuff. Beam weaponry will not be used until the appearance of the G-Weapons (i.e. Strike, Aegis, Duel, Buster and Blitz), so I will not be using any of the guns from Freelancer. I will instead give the fighter ships from Freelancer standard weapons like linear guns or CIWS.

3) For those who have played Freelancer before, I'm sorry to say that ships will not have nanobots or shield batteries. I have decided to remove nanobot technology and shield batteries from this story. You will also realize that I have done away with the level thingy for the gun slots. I will instead give each ship standardized weapons according to the number of slots and power rating originally assigned to it.

_(Note: Mobile weapons and battleships whose names are _**BOLD **_are my own creations. The rest are taken from Gundam Seed or Freelancer.)_

**Last Updated: 03 Mar 2008**

* * *

**List of Mobile Weapons**

* * *

Name: ZGMF-1017 GINN 

Unit Type: Mass Production General Purpose Mobile Suit

Operator: House Rheinland, The Order

Known pilots:

Description: In a bid to strengthen their ailing military, Rheinland developed a new humanoid fighting machine, known as mobile suits, which proved to be vastly superior to fighter ships. Faster, more agile and more versatile than any other ships, the GINN is the first ever mobile suit to appear in the Sirius Sector. The appearance of the GINN will subsequently kick start the rapid development of mobile suit technology and later render fighter ships as obsolete.

* * *

Name: ZGMF-515 CGUE 

Unit Type: Commander Type Mobile Suit

Operator: House Rheinland

Known Pilots:

Description: The ZGMF-515 CGUE is an improved version of their standard ZGMF-1017 GINN and is designed for use by commanders and ace pilots. The CGUE is faster and more maneuverable than a standard GINN, and their armament differs somewhat. The CGUE is armed with a heavy assault machine gun and heavy sword similar to that of the GINN, but it can also be equipped with a combination shield and vulcan gun system on its left arm.

* * *

Name: ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type 

Unit Type: High Mobility Mobile Suit

Operator: The Order

Armaments: JDP2-MMX22 experimental 27mm armor assault rifle (mounts MA-M3 heavy sword as bayonet)

Known Pilots: Tolle Koenig, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Cagalli

Description: After managing to acquire a few of Rheinland's ZGMF-1017 GINNs, scientists at The Order managed to develop a new variant of the original. Equipped with a new engine and additional thrusters, the GINN High Maneuver Type is considerably faster and more agile than the GINN. The GINN HM Type is armed with an experimental armor assault rifle, which mounts a heavy sword on its end to serve as a bayonet.

* * *

Name: TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero 

Unit Type: Prototype Mobile Armor

Operator: House Liberty

Known Pilots: Mu La Flaga

Description: With the implementation of Liberty's "Mobile Armor" project, the Moebius Zero was developed with the aim to replace Liberty's ageing fighter ships. Besides having better maneuverability and thicker armor, the Moebius Zero is equipped with four wired controlled gun barrels. These gun barrels allow the pilot to attack a target from multiple directions. However, the gun barrels can only be controlled by pilots with a high degree of spatial awareness, an extremely rare ability. The "Mobile Armor" project was scrapped as a result, leaving only a select few pilots with this powerful weapon. Moebius Zero pilots are feared even in the Border Worlds, with ace pilot Mu La Flaga of the LSF the most famous of them all.

* * *

Name: GAT-X105 Strike 

Unit Type: Prototype All-Purpose Multi-Mode Mobile Suit

Operator: House Liberty

Known Pilots: Kira Yamato

Description: With the success of Rheinland's mass produced GINN, Liberty began to conduct mobile suit research in secret in a bid to catch up with their rival. Working with several talented scientists from the Border Worlds, the "G-Weapon" project was initiated in two locations – Juneau Shipyard in the Alaska System and Freeport 7 in the Sigma-17 system. One of the five mobile suits developed was the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam – a suit designed to fill a variety of roles through the use of its Striker Packs. Two important technologies were researched as a result – phase shift armor which renders all physical attacks ineffective and beam weaponry. While powerful, all the G-Weapons can only operate in a limited time due to the power guzzling phase shift armor and beam weaponry.

* * *

Name: GAT-X303 Aegis 

Unit Type: Prototype Attack Use Transformable Mobile Suit

Operator: House Liberty, House Rheinland

Known Pilots: Athrun Zala

Description: One of the five mobile suits developed by Liberty's "G-Weapon" project, the GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam is constructed with a different frame and can transform into a mobile armor mode, unlike the other Gundams. Like the other prototype Gundams, the Aegis Gundam is equipped with the new Phase Shift armor system. In mobile suit mode, the Aegis Gundam's armament consists of head-mounted "Igelstellung" CIWS, four beam sabers and a beam rifle. However, in mobile armor mode it can use the powerful "Scylla" 580mm energy cannon. This powerful cannon is capable of destroying battleships with one well placed shot.

* * *

Name: GAT-X102 Duel Gundam 

Unit Type: Prototype Close Combat Mobile Suit

Operator: House Liberty, House Rheinland

Known Pilots: Yzak Joule

Description: One of the five mobile suits developed by Liberty's "G-Weapon" project, the GAT-X102 Duel Gundam serves as a tested for the other four models. As a basic mobile suit, the Duel Gundam is designed for close combat. Its armament consists of two beam sabers, two "Igelstellung" Vulcan guns and a combination high-energy beam rifle/grenade launcher. The Duel is subsequently upgraded by Rheinland into the Assault Shroud configuration. Several armor plates are added to the Duel's body along with the addition of two weapons – a five barrel missile pod launcher on the left shoulder and the 115mm "Shiva" railgun on the right shoulder.

* * *

Name: GAT-X103 Buster Gundam 

Unit Type: Prototype Long Range Artillery Mobile Suit

Operator: House Liberty, House Rheinland

Known Pilots: Dearka Elsman

Description: One of the five mobile suits developed by Liberty's "G-Weapon" project, the GAT-X103 Buster Gundam is designed as a long range artillery suit. The Buster Gundam's main armament consists of a 350mm gun launcher and a 94mm high-energy rifle. These two weapons can be used independently or both interchangeably combined to form two powerful long-range weapons. The Buster Gundam is also equipped with two 6-barrel missile pod launchers on its shoulders. Like the other prototype Gundams, the Buster Gundam is equipped with the new Phase Shift (PS) armor technology.

* * *

Name: GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam 

Unit Type: Prototype Melee Combat Mobile Suit

Operator: House Liberty, House Rheinland

Known Pilots: Nicol Amalfi

Description: One of the five mobile suits developed by Liberty's "G-Weapon" project, the GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam is designed for melee combat and stealth missions. Like the other prototype Gundams, the Blitz Gundam is equipped with the new Phase Shift (PS) armor technology. The most important part, though, is the coating of mirage colloid particles on the Blitz Gundam's body. When activated, the Mirage Colloid renders the Blitz Gundam invisible to the human eye as well as computer sensors for up to 80 minutes. However, the Mirage Colloid cannot be used simultaneously with Phase Shift, rendering the Blitz Gundam vulnerable to attacks while invisible.

* * *

**List of Fighter Ships**

* * *

Ship Name: CTE-750AE "Starflier" Civilian Light Fighter 

Class: Light Fighter

Operator: Civilians

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 10cm Railgun, Countermeasure Dropper

Known Pilots: Kira Yamato

Description: Manufactured in Liberty, the "Starflier" is the most economical ship of its class. With ample cargo space and good handling, this ship distinguishes itself as the veritable "workhorse for the working man".

* * *

Ship Name: CTE-1500 "Hawk" Civilian Light Fighter 

Class: Light Fighter

Operator: Civilians

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 1 x 25cm Linear Gun, 1 x Missile Launcher, Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: Shaped like an enormous bird of prey, the "Hawk" is a potent fighter despite its class rating. Its unmistakable shape casts a shadow of fear on its enemies, while the advanced power and armor ratings ensure that it can deliver the harshest of attacks or repel those foolish enough to challenge it.

* * *

Ship Name: CTE-6000 "Eagle" Civilian Very Heavy Fighter 

Class: Very Heavy Fighter

Operator: Anybody

Armaments: 2 x 25cm Linear Gun, 2 x 40cm Linear Cannon, 1 x 30cm Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), 2 x Multi-Tube Missile Launcher, Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: With it's maxed out power rating and reinforced armor plating, the "Eagle" is the most sophisticated and advanced vessel in the Civilian class. All in all, it delivers the maximum defensive potential and punishing offensive firepower that credits can buy.

* * *

Ship Name: LZF-6364 "Patriot" 

Class: Light Fighter

Operator: House Liberty

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 1 x 10cm Railgun, 1 x Missile Launcher, Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots: Mu La Flaga, Jun'ko Zane (Juni)

Description: The "Patriot" delivers state of the art maneuverability and punishing firepower in one unbeatable package. Impressive extensibility and a generous cargo hold round out the top notch appointments.

* * *

Ship Name: BDR-337 "Defender" 

Class: Heavy Fighter

Operator: House Liberty

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 2 x 20cm Railgun, 1 x Missile Launcher, 1 x 20cm Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots: Zeke Cunningham

Description: The number one choice of the Liberty Armed Forces, the "Defender" is the most common fighter used by the Liberty Navy.

* * *

Ship Name: 90-ARKM-N9 "Valkyrie" 

Class: Heavy Fighter

Operator: House Rheinland

Armaments: 2 x 36mm Heavy Assault Machine Guns, 2 x 25cm Railguns, 1 x Missile Launcher, 1 x 20xm Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: At the time of its appearance, the "Valkyrie" is the pride of the Rheinland military. Even today, this fighter is widely considered to be one of the best fighter ships out there. Despite its power, the "Valkyrie" has seen better days, its position taken over by the Rheinland Military's new humanoid fighting machine, the ZGMF-1017 GINN.

* * *

Ship Name: B-224-F "Cavalier" 

Class: Light Fighter

Operator: House Bretonia

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 2 x 15cm Gattling Linear Cannons, Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: Expertly fast and agile, this fighter has proven time and again to be a valuable asset to Bretonia.

* * *

Ship Name: B-907A "Crusader" 

Class: Heavy Fighter

Operator: House Bretonia

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 2 x 25cm Gattling Linear Cannons, 1 x 30cm Linear Cannon, 1 x Missile Launcher, Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: Known as the "crown royal" of the heavy fighter class, the "Crusader" is the cornerstone of the military and civil authorities. Used largely to enforce the will of the crown, this ship is designed at its core to deliver as significant a beating as it is able to withstand. Thus, the "Crusader" is an optimal choice for its survivability and also its significant offensive capabilities.

* * *

Ship Name: J10P-15P "Dragon" 

Class: Heavy Fighter

Operator: House Kusari

Armaments: 2 x 15mm Assault Machine Guns, 2 x 20cm Rapid Linear Guns, 1 x 30cm Linear Cannon, 1 x Missile Launcher, Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: "The serpents tooth", this ship is the razor sharp maw of Kusari military knowledge and technology. The "Dragon" is the coalescence of form and function, blending unbeatable offensive and defensive capabilities and significant cargo space.

* * *

Ship Name: Series X "Dagger" 

Class: Light Fighter

Operator: Outcasts, Border Worlds

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Gun, 2 x 20cm Linear Guns, 1 x 76mm CIWS Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: It may be classified as a "light fighter" but there is nothing light about this ship. With its expanded power capacity and armor rating "The Dagger" has all of the muscle required to survive in the harsh frontier of the Border Worlds.

* * *

Ship Name: Series Z "Sabre" 

Class: Very Heavy Fighter

Operator: Outcasts, Border Worlds

Armaments: 2 x 30cm Rapid Linear Guns, 2 x 40cm "Bloodstone" Linear Cannon, 2 x Missile Pods, 1 x 50cm Linear Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: As commerce and some economic freedoms began to flood the Border Worlds, so did greater access to technology and the need for change. The "Z" is the fruit of Border World ingenuity and pure capitalism coalesced into one lethal embodiment. This ship boasts enormous power capacity as well as extreme defensive capability.

* * *

Ship Name: Z-3005 "Wolfhound" 

Class: Heavy Fighter

Operator: Pirates

Armaments: 2 x 20mm Machine Guns, 2 x 15cm Rapid Linear Guns, 1 x Missile Launcher, 1 x 25cm Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: This ship has enough expanded features to ensure that it has the advantage in equal armed conflict. The "Wolfhound" has enough armor and a generously amplified power output to easily wear down combatants, while also harboring enough cargo space to easily strip them down and carry off the spoils.

* * *

Ship Name: Z-2010 "Bloodhound" 

Class: Light Fighter

Operator: Pirates/ Liberty Rogues

Armaments: 2 x 15mm Machine Guns, 1 x 15cm Rapid Linear Guns, 1 x Missile Launcher, 1 x 20cm Turret (Can turn back and fire at rear), Countermeasure Dropper, Cruise Disruptor

Known Pilots:

Description: With its increased power capacity, "The Bloodhound" represents a significant threat to police forces and shipping targets in Sirius. This fighter is fast and can deliver a lethal payload and array of offensive weaponry, making it of great value to alternative fighting forces everywhere.

* * *

**List of Freighters**

* * *

Ship Name: EL-Hil27 "Rhino" 

Class: Freighter

Operator: House Liberty/ Civilians

Description: With the economic foundation of Sirius firmly built on Liberty's commercial interests, "The Rhino" certainly lives up to its name. The vast cargo hold is the hallmark of this impressive beast, surrounded by doubly reinforced structure and protective armor hull.

* * *

Ship Name: 203-ARKM-B5 "Humpback" 

Class: Freighter

Operator: House Rheinland

Description: With a cavernous space at its core, the "Humpback" has a monstrously huge appetite for cargo. Being credited as key in the modernization and economic success of Rheinland, it remains a greatly priced vessel.

* * *

Ship Name: Series YX "Dromedary" 

Class: Freighter

Operator: Border Worlds/ Civilians

Description: In the frontier, the need for individuals to move great amounts of cargo securely is crucial. The "Dromedary" is a capable vessel that trades in the most rugged of areas.

* * *

**List of Battleships**

* * *

Class: Drake 

Unit Type: Space Gunship

Ships of the line:

Operator: House Liberty

Description: One of Liberty's main vessels, the Drake-class mainly serves as escorts for the larger Nelson-class battleships. Lacking an internal hanger, the Drake-class is incapable of housing any fighter ships, though some can be strapped to its outer hull should the need arises.

* * *

Class: Nelson 

Unit Type: Space Battleship

Ships of the line: _Endymion_

Operator: House Liberty

Description: The main workhorse of the Liberty Navy, the Nelson-class battleship is moderately armed. With a good mix of firepower and armor, the Nelson-class is a balanced ship and has been serving as Liberty's main battleship for close to a decade. Liberty has a great amount of these ships.

* * *

**Class: Dreadnaught**

Unit Type: Flagship

Ships of the line: _Missouri, Yukon, Rio Grande, Mississippi, Unity, Harmony, Texas, Arizona, Omaha_

Operator: House Liberty

Overall Length: 350m

Armaments: 16 x "Igelstellung" 75mm automatic multi-barrel CIWS, 24 x Missile Launchers, 2 x Double Barrel Main Cannons, 2 x Dual Side Cannons, 2 x Underbelly Linear Cannons

Mobile Weapon Capacity: 36 x Heavy Fighters

Launch Catapults: None

Description: Mainly serving as flagships, the Dreadnaught-class battleship is one of the largest vessels in the Sirius Sector. These vessels, however, have been around for more than a century. Many of these large vessels, while powerful, now require heavy servicing. The Dreadnaught-class is the longest serving class of capital ship in the whole of Sirius.

* * *

Class: Archangel 

Unit Type: Prototype Assault Ship

Ships of the line: _Archangel _

Operator: House Liberty

Description: While trying to catch up with Rheinland on mobile suit development, Liberty designed a new battleship to complement the five G-Weapons. Designed mainly by Morgenroete, a military contractor based in the Freeports, the _Archangel_ was subsequently built by Liberty contractors in Juneau Shipyard. In addition to carrying mobile suits, the _Archangel_features many new technologies. Itis capable of atmospheric entry, thanks to an ablative gel that can be spread across the hull. The _Archangel_also features laminated armor, making it very difficult to seriously damage in battle. In terms of weaponry, the _Archangel_is a mobile fortress. Its main weapon is the dual "Lohengrin" positron blaster cannon housed in the 'legs' at the forward end of the ship. The _Archangel_'s armament includes an array of other weapons, such as "Gottfried" beam cannons, "Valiant" linear cannons, "Igelstellung" Vulcan guns as well as missile launchers.

* * *

Class: Laurasia 

Unit Type: Space Frigate

Ships of the line: _Gamow_

Operator: House Rheinland

Description: The Laurasia Class is used widely before the introduction of the newer Nazca-class. It formed the bulk of the Rheinland Imperial Navy during the disastrous 80 years war with the GMG. With almost three-quarters of Rheinland's Laurasia fleet destroyed during that war, this class of space frigate has since been demoted to a supporting role for the newer and faster Nazca-class.

* * *

Class: Nazca 

Unit Type: Space Battleship

Ships of the line: _Donau, Vesalius  
_

Operator: House Rheinland

Description: After the disastrous 80 year war with the GMG, Rheinland's Imperial Navy underwent major reformations. One of the changes was the introduction of the high speed Nazca-class battleship. Quick, modern and powerful, these battleships are able to match even the mighty Dreadnaught-class of Liberty. These ships currently form the bulk of Rheinland's navy.

* * *

**Class:****Gneisenau**

Unit Type: Capital Ship

Ships of the line: _Westfalen _

Operator: House Rheinland

Overall Length: 500m

Armaments: 20 x 58mm CIWS, 4 x 160cm High-Energy Double Barrel Main Cannons, 8 x 75mm Dual Railgun, 16 x Missile Launchers

Mobile Weapon Capacity: 12 x Mobile Suits and 12 x Heavy Fighters, or 42 Heavy Fighters

Launch Catapults: 2

Description: For decades the massive Gneisenau-class has served as a reminder of Rheinland's military might. Sadly, only one these magnificent ships are left. The rest were either destroyed or crippled beyond repair during the 80 year war against the GMG.

* * *

_**Feel free to ask me if you have any questions regarding the specs; this is a crossover after all. I will try my best to answer any questions you might have. Suggestions are welcomed too.**_


	4. Ch 01: Sidewinder Fang

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

* * *

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 01: Sidewinder Fang**

* * *

_--Liberty News Flash--_

_President Jacobi has asked the LSF to investigate the sudden destruction of Freeport 7. No word on whether it was accidental or a deliberate attack. The first handful of survivors arrived on Manhattan this morning._

_Officially, the Liberty Security Force maintains there is no proof Freeport 7's destruction was deliberate. But sources inside the LSF say they suspect the dangerous criminal organization, the Order. We will keep you up to date as the story develops._

* * *

**Planet Manhattan, New York System, Liberty**

"Planet Manhattan…" Tolle mumbled to himself as he stepped out of the rescue vessel, with Kira not far behind.

"I could have sworn that Kusari is nearer to the Sigma Systems. What are we doing in Liberty?" Kira said as he caught up with Tolle.

"How would I know?" Tolle was more interested in observing the new surroundings than answering Kira's question, "All I know is that we're still alive. That's the most important fact."

Extremely lucky to have survived the destruction of Freeport 7, Kira and Tolle spent the next few minutes studying the new environment. After all, neither of them had ever set foot on Manhattan, the capital planet of House Liberty. Expecting to land somewhere in Kusari, which was nearer to Sigma 17, the two friends were thoroughly surprised that they were in Liberty.

Kira shook his head dejectedly as he looked back at the rescue vessel that brought them out of the totaled Freeport 7. The hanger their Rhino Freighter was sitting in was destroyed before either of them had a chance to get on it. Having no choice, the duo had to escape using the rescue ship instead, with an unconscious Yuna as extra baggage. Still, Kira was relieved that both he and Tolle were unhurt. A few medical personnel approached as they were observing the unfamiliar metropolitan surroundings, entombed by huge, faceless buildings that seemed to be the norm in most major planets.

Recognizing Kira as one of the Freeport 7 survivors, one of the medical personnel ran up to Kira, "We're here from medical. Is there anyone injured?" the medic asked.

Kira nodded his head and pointed to the still unconscious Yuna, "One… over there."

"Will he be okay?" Tolle wasn't really concerned about Yuna, but he asked anyway.

"His head is busted pretty badly. It may take a while," the medic answered as he lifted Yuna onto the stretcher with the help of his colleague.

"Make sure he lives; he owes us some credits," Kira added.

"Your concern is touching. We'll do everything we can," the medic replied as Yuna was taken to a nearby ambulance.

Kira and Tolle looked on quietly as the ambulance carrying Yuna sped off and headed towards the hospital. Having lost their ship on Freeport 7, the both of them had no where to go. To top it off, most of their possessions were inside the now gone freighter. All they had with them was 500 credits. It wasn't even enough to buy a ticket back to Leeds.

"What should we do now, Kira?" Tolle asked, though he already had something in mind. He just wanted to confirm with Kira.

"We'll wait until Yuna recovers or something. He was the one who suggested meeting on Freeport 7. We have to make sure he pays us the million credits," Kira said as he held up something familiar, "I still have the papers with me. That guy has to pay no matter what."

"You still have the papers? That's great! I thought we lost everything there!" Tolle's eyes widened with excitement before his previously downcast spirit returned again, "But, isn't our shipment is gone as well? Doesn't that mean that Yuna guy is under no obligation to pay us?"

Kira grinned when he heard what Tolle had said, "That's the catch, Tolle. I've read the entire contract. It just says Yuna has to pay us one million credits. There's absolutely nothing about us having to deliver the shipment of boron. I believe Yuna's carelessness has turned into a blessing for us."

"Oh my goodness, are we lucky or what?" Tolle was jumping with excitement as Yuna had practically gifted them one million credits in exchange for nothing, "Looks like it's not all gloom for us. C'mon, let's celebrate somewhere!"

"All I want now is my sidewinder fang," Kira was known to be extremely fussy when it came to alcohol, and "Sidewinder Fang" was just about the only drink he would order. Anything else was garbage to Kira, and he was quick to remind Tolle of his preference.

_(Note: Sidewinder Fang is a type of alcohol in the Freelancer game.)_

"Seriously, Kira. You've got to learn how to drink other stuff. You are only three months from your twentieth birthday, and all you ever drink is that Sidewinder Fang of yours. You should really try something else, you know," as soon as he said that, Tolle dragged his friend to a bar just opposite the landing pad, totally ignoring Kira's lecture on how "Sidewinder Fang" is the best drink around and stuff like that.

_(Note: Kira is 19 yrs old in this story. Basically, I will make everyone who's a sixteen or seventeen year old in the original anime older. This is so that my story will make sense later; and because it's sort of unrealistic for 16 year olds to be running around the "galaxy". Tolle is around the same age as Kira, just in case you are wondering.)_

**Manhattan Bar, Planet Manhattan**

"Sidewinder Fang, please," the moment he entered the bar, Kira ordered his favorite drink predictably. He took a few seconds to survey modern interiors of the bar; square tables with plush seats at one side, smaller round table tops in the middle, and the bar top table at the other end. He immediately took a spot on one of the empty seats at the bar top table.

Sporting a bald patch, the portly bartender took a quick glance at the two new customers and then continued wiping the beer mugs, "All we have here is the Liberty Ale."

Kira was absolutely disgusted that his favorite drink was not available. Tolle was ready to drink just about anything, "Two mugs of Liberty Ale, then!"

"What?" Kira nearly fainted when Tolle made the decision for him, "I told you! Sidewinder Fang or nothing! I'll rather have plain water!"

Tolle replied with an elbow to Kira's ribs, "Just take it."

Kira looked at the mug of Liberty Ale placed in front of him. No matter how he looked at it, the unimpressive mug of Liberty Ale looked more like cooking oil that had been reused for countless times. There was no way he was going to let something as gross as that slip down his throat. But one thing was for sure though; after a long trip from the Sigma 17 System to the New York System in a rescue ship having half the comfort level of a waste disposal ship, Kira was beyond thirsty. Despite his reservations for the rather questionable mug of Liberty Ale, Kira was itching to have some fluid. After psyching himself up, Kira took up the courage and took a big gulp.

"Urgh!" almost simultaneously, the two friends grimaced when they emptied their mugs. How they even managed to finish their share was a complete mystery.

"Tried something else, huh?" Kira hissed at his equally disgusted friend as the Liberty Ale was just about the yuckiest stuff he had ever tasted.

_(Note: Liberty Ale is an alcoholic drink made from recycled byproducts of burnt h-fuel. It is as inexpensive as it is disgusting.)_

"Eww… you call this a drink?" Tolle made clear his opinion to the bartender, who was trying very hard to suppress his laughter.

The bartender retrieved the empty mugs and continued with what he was doing earlier, "I call this Liberty, kid."

Tolle made sure he gave the bartender his most frightening glare, but it did not seem to have any effect on him, "Come on, Kira. Say something," Tolle nudged at his friend as he wanted to get back at the bartender for making fun of them.

Kira, however, had his attention focused on someone else. Seated across the bar was a lady with black hair that reached above her shoulders. She seemed to be in her early twenties and her oriental looks were rather attractive from Tolle's point of view. Of course, no one of the opposite sex could be as fabulous as Miriallia, his girlfriend back home.

"You know her?" Tolle asked Kira.

"Nope," Kira replied, "Just happened to glance back when I saw her. She seemed to be from the military, judging from her clothing."

"So what about that?" Tolle was a little puzzled at Kira's interest in that lady, "She's a little too old for you, by the looks of it."

"That's Jun'ko Zane," before Kira could reply, the bartender made his presence felt as he poked into their conversation, "She's a tough one."

Tolle was a little irritated with the bartender, but he decided to carry on with the conversation, "And why is she a tough one?"

"She works for the LSF. All business, if it's a job you want."

Tolle took a closer look and realized that the bartender wasn't lying. The lady was wearing a blue uniform, almost similar to what the military personnel had. However, he could see that her uniform was slightly different from what military personnel would normally wear. It seemed that she belonged to another organization.

"So that's an officer from the LSF," even when he was in Leeds, Kira had already heard of the LSF. Being rather curious as he was, Kira always wanted to know what an LSF officer looked like, especially since they were seldom seen.

It was then that the bartender noticed something, "I think I know the two of you."

"No you don't," Tolle waved his hands in denial, "I don't believe we had ever met before."

"The news," the bartender directed Tolle's attention to a huge screen behind, "I saw the two of you in the news. You're one of the Freeport 7 survivors, aren't you?"

_This old man is pretty sharp. _Tolle thought to himself, "Well… bingo."

Bending down, the bartender took out a bottle from beneath the shelf and offered a drink to Kira and Tolle, "This one's on me. It's the good stuff."

"Why?" Kira asked even though he was secretly happy that someone was going to give him a treat. Secretly, he was praying that the bottle actually contained his one and only Sidewinder Fang.

"Because it's not everyday a man gets the chance to start again," the bartender handed the duo a new glass of booze each, "To your good fortune in Liberty."

"It can't get any worst," Kira and Tolle chorused in unison as they downed their drink.

"Urgh… Sidewinder Fang's still better…"

"Shut up, Kira…"

**One hour later**

"Let's find some place to sleep, Kira," after having one drink too many, not to mention 100 credits deducted from their pockets, Tolle was struggling to keep his eyes opened.

Kira, however, ignored Tolle. Unlike his intoxicated friend, Kira stopped after the free treat by the bartender, especially since his favorite drink wasn't available. Still feeling sober, Kira was only concerned about one thing. After Tolle's drinking binge, the two friends were left with only 400 credits, which would probably allow them to stay in an average hotel for about one night. There was no way Yuna would recover within one night. This meant that Kira and Tolle had to wait for at least a week or so before they could get their hands on their million credits. With only 400 credits in hand, Kira knew that they were in financial trouble.

"Wait for me here, Tolle," Kira stood up and walked towards Jun'ko Zane, who was talking to another man.

"Juni, the environment has changed," having a discussion with Jun'ko Zane was a diplomat from Liberty's government, "With the growing threat from groups like the Order, some in the government feel that we need to increase our patrols in these areas."

_(Note: "Juni" is another way of calling Jun'ko Zane. Juni equals Jun'ko Zane equals Juni.)_

"I understand what you're saying, but I don't have enough people," Juni was certainly having a tough time negotiating with the diplomat.

Kira approached the pair, "Ahem!" he purposely cleared his throat as he tried to grab Juni's attention.

Seeing Kira approaching, the diplomat got up, "I believe you have some business to discuss. I will leave this matter in your capable hands."

"Wait!" Juni tried to stop the diplomat from leaving, but she was too late.

Kira felt awkward as Juni seemed to be pissed off at him. She had good reasons to be mad at him. With the recent spike in criminal activities in Liberty, the LSF had been having much trouble in maintaining order in Liberty Space. Facing a severe shortage in manpower, Juni had initially hoped to strike a deal with the diplomat on the manpower distribution of those under her. With the diplomat now gone, any negotiation was impossible.

"Are you Jun'ko Zane?" after amassing a great amount of courage, Kira spoke. Juni nodded her head looking a little edgy.

Kira was wondering if he was doing the correct thing, but he went on anyway. There was no turning back now, "Sorry, the bartender said you work for the Liberty Security Force."

"And who do you work for, Mr.?" Juni practically snapped at Kira.

"I'm Kira Yamato. I work for myself," Kira answered calmly in front of a visibly upset Juni, which surprised him a lot. _All this time in the Border Worlds must have toughened me somewhat._

_A freelancer? Maybe this could work out. _Juni took an interest and decided to continue, "What can of ship do you have, Mr. Yamato?"

Now that was a question that stumped Kira, "I… lost mine… on Freeport 7."

"Oh, I see," Juni's anger seemed to subside when she heard of Kira's misfortune, "Are you staying in Liberty long?"

"Yeah… I got a friend…" Kira paused for a while. _Calling that gay Yuna my friend. What am I thinking? _Kira could not believe what he just blurted from his mouth.

"Sorry?" Juni did not catch what Kira was trying to say.

"I mean… I got a friend who was injured during the attack; he's in medical. I will be staying at least until he's released," Kira was hoping that he sounded convincing enough.

Juni thought for a while and decided that Kira could be of some use to her, "I think I could use a good freelancer, Mr. Yamato."

Kira's face lit up, "Really?"

"Mmm…" Juni nodded and handed Kira a piece of paper, "Meet me in this equipment dealer later. Oh… and if we are to work together, call me Juni."

"Great! I'll see you later!" Kira waved goodbye and headed back to Tolle, who looked totally out of sort. All that was left for Kira was to dump Tolle in one of Manhattan's numerous hotels before meeting up with Juni. If Kira was able to complete any assignment Juni might give him, the credits earned would be able to cover their expenses for at least a few days.

**Equipment Dealer, Planet Manhattan**

The entire place was dark when Kira arrived at the equipment dealer, "Hello?" Kira was beginning to doubt if he was at the correct place.

The lights suddenly came on, blinding Kira for a short while, "I'm pleased to see you. Are you ready to work for the LSF, Mr. Yamato?"

"Just call me Kira," stunned for a moment, the youngster replied after recovering from the sudden change in brightness, "And yes… I'm here to see what you have to offer."

Juni signaled for Kira to follow her. The LSF officer walked towards one of the large hangers located in the equipment dealer and walked towards a small ship. It looked pretty basic, with three small weapon slots which did not look capable of mounting anything other than the most basic of guns or missiles. The only other equipment that ship was capable of holding was the countermeasure dropper, equipment used to attract the attention of any incoming missiles and draw them away from the ship. From afar, Kira could see that the ship was the Starflier, a light fighter commonly used by civilians. It was probably the cheapest and most basic ship credits could buy.

"That's the best I can get for you," Juni said as she introduced Kira to the piece of junk she managed to find for him, "The Starflier is the most basic of ships, but it should be more than sufficient for the assignment I'm planning to give you."

Kira walked up to the ship and inspected it for a while, "Well… at least it's better than nothing. What assignment do you have for me?"

"This assignment is easy. All you have to do is to baby-sit a convoy of food and medical supplies to Pittsburg. LSF intelligence states that this mission is a low risk type; attacks are highly unlikely. You'll be paid 2000 credits if the mission is successful. Interested?" Juni explained.

Kira thought about the offer for a minute and estimated that he could probably finish the assignment before Tolle recovered from his hangover, "Sounds good. I'll do it."

Juni was relieved that Kira accepted the mission; especially with the severe manpower shortage she was having right now, "Excellent. You'll meet up with the mission CO, Mu La Flaga, outside of Manhattan. I'll tell him to expect you. I'll have the ship moved and ready. You just need to go to the landing pad and launch. Happy flying."

"Thanks," Kira replied as he headed out. Inside his mind, Kira was praying that the escort mission would go on without a hitch. He had seen enough with the destruction of Freeport 7. The last thing Kira needed was more explosions.

**Space outside Planet Manhattan**

"You must be Kira Yamato, aren't you?" Mu said as he spotted the Starflier emerging from the docking ring.

_A mobile armor? Isn't that state of the art military equipment from the Liberty Navy? This guy must be something to be assigned a mobile armor. _Kira thought to himself as he saw an orange colored mobile armor with four strange looking pods attached to it, "Yes, that's me."

"Nice to see you. I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga," Mu said in a welcoming voice, secretly happy that he had someone accompanying him on the mission, "By the way, judging by your name, are you from Kusari?"

"I'm from Bretonia," Kira seemed a little embarrassed as his name sounded far from what a typical Bretonian would have, "Sorry if my name confused you or something."

"It's alright, kid," Mu was impressed by how polite Kira sounded, "Juni has a Kusari sounding name too, and she works for the LSF."

"Guess you're right," Kira was relieved that Mu sounded friendly. He was actually quite afraid of Juni's serious and business like attitude.

"I've contacted the lead transport. They're waiting at Fort Bush. We will link up with them and then make a short run from Fort Bush to Pittsburg. You're ready?" Mu proceeded to brief Kira on the mission.

"I'm ready," Kira was about to head for the Trade Lane when he spotted something, "Is that a Rheinland battleship?"

"That's the _Donau_," Mu replied as the Nazca-class battleship passed by them, "That ship is carrying Admiral Schultzky, one of Rheinland's highest ranking officers. He's in Liberty to attend a high level meeting with the president. Keep your distance."

"No problem, I've never been particularly fond of Rheinlanders," Kira sure agreed with Mu's instructions. He did not have a particularly good impression of Rheinland, despite the fact that he had never entered Rheinland before. Kira somehow had a dislike for Rheinland for a reason even he was unaware of.

"You're cleared to dock at Newark Station, _Donau_. Liberty welcomes you and Admiral Schultzky," the Newark Command greeted the Rheinland battleship as it approached Newark Station, a space station orbiting planet Manhattan.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly when the Newark Command picked up something unusual, "_Donau_, be advised. Long range sensors are picking up unknown contacts approaching your location."

Without delay, two GINNs which were escorting the _Donau_ immediately set off to intercept the unknown contacts. While the Rheinland military is currently in a weakened state, it had managed to develop a new kind of weapon that clearly surpassed even the best fighter ships in the Sirius Sector. In fact, these weapons were even capable of taking on battleships on their own. Known as mobile suits, these weapons were the newest creation of the Rheinland Military, and were regarded to be the best invention ever created by many in Rheinland. Given the code name ZGMF-1017 GINN, or GINN in short, Rheinland's newest humanoid fighting machines had proven to be superior in combat ever since they were launched one year ago. The two GINNs escorting the _Donau_ headed straight for the unknown contacts, fully confident of their abilities to take out any foe that ventured too close.

The two Rheinland pilots, however, were about to receive the shock of their lives. The four blips they saw on the long range sensors did not belong to four fighter ships, as they had originally anticipated. What were approaching them were four of their very own weapons – the GINN. To make matters worst, two of the enemy units were equipped with D-equipment, a configuration designed specifically for taking out large targets and battleships. Apart from the standard 76mm machine gun and swords, GINNs equipped with D-equipment were also equipped with additional missile launchers. One of the enemy's GINN even had a heavy ion cannon. One good shot from the cannon was more than enough to take out the _Donau_.

The Rheinland GINNs were the first to open fire, but were surprised at the skill displayed by the enemy units. All four of the enemy GINNs evaded the initial attack, including the two GINNs which were equipped with the heavier D-equipment configuration. The Rheinland mobile suits were easily taken down by the two standard GINNs, while the two heavily armed GINNs headed straight for the _Donau_. Taking aim, it took just one shot from the enemy's heavy ion cannon for the _Donau_ to be blown apart. The Nazca-class battleship did not even have time to launch additional mobile suits before it was blown up. The captain of the _Donau_ felt that the two GINNs were more than enough. It turned out to be a fatal mistake.

"Damn it! They took out the _Donau_!" Mu cursed as the _Donau_ was reduced into a smothering pile of metal and flame. Having a Rheinland battleship destroyed in what was supposed to be the safest place in Liberty was far from pretty.

"Kira! Stay back! I'm taking out those scums!" Mu wasted no time as he powered his Moebius Zero towards the four GINNs, "I'll show you why I'm called the Hawk of Endymion!"

Joining Mu were dozens of Defenders and Patriots, the main fighter ships used by Liberty. From the onset, it was clear that the fighter ships were no match for the GINNs. The mobile suits were clearly superior to whatever the Liberty ships could throw at them. Even the standard GINNs, which were just equipped with a 76mm machine gun and sword, had no problems against the Defenders and Patriots which ironically, had more guns and missiles. What set the GINNs apart weren't their weapons. Instead, it was their superior speed and maneuverability that gave them a vast advantage over their slower opponents. That and the fact that the GINNs were piloted by outstanding individuals widened the gap between them and their pursuers. Unfortunately for them, they did not factor in the presence of Mu La Flaga and his Moebius Zero.

The four wired guided barrels were immediately released and Mu had them circle around one of the GINNs. The erratic movement of the barrels proved to be too much for his opponent to handle, and Mu easily took down his hapless opponent. The remaining three GINNs were no fools, however. They were quick to spot the danger Mu posed to them and attacked him together. The battle quickly turned into a three on one fight.

"Cowards! Why don't you guys take me one on one?" Mu shouted in exasperation as he had a difficult time dodging the hail of bullets aiming for his mobile armor.

One of the GINNs slammed onto the top of Mu's Moebius Zero and drew its sword, but his gun barrels managed to destroy the GINN before it had the chance to cut his machine in half. It was now two on one.

"Bulls eye!" Mu shouted victoriously as a shot from the Moebius Zero's linear gun went straight through another GINN's cockpit.

The remaining GINN tried to escape, but even the best fighting machine in all of Sirius would succumb when fired upon by more than twenty fighter ships. Unable to escape, the GINN pilot ejected as the mobile suit was swiftly taken apart. With the last remaining GINN taken care off, there was nothing more Mu could do. The LSF ace retreated from the battlefield and returned to where Kira was.

Meanwhile, while the fierce battle was going on, Kira was busy scanning the numerous loots that were floating around. Whenever a ship is destroyed in a battle, there was always the possibility that the destroyed ship would leave behind some salvageable parts, like weapons, valuable goods or even ejected life pods. In the few months spent in the Border Worlds, Kira had learnt to take full advantage of such circumstances. Almost instinctively, Kira started to scan the surrounding areas for any salvage that he could profit on. Like most ships in the Sirius Sector, the Starflier was equipped with a tractor beam, a device that allows a pilot to tractor in any loot he might fancy.

In a hurry to bring in some of the loot he set his eye on, Kira accidentally tractored in a life pod. Kira moaned loudly as he had brought in something he had never intended to get. It was probably one of the Liberty pilots who had ejected during the fight against the GINNs, and Kira did not like the idea of having a stranger lying around his ship's cargo hold.

"Hey! Kira! Time to move!" Mu hurried Kira as they were running late for the mission.

"Arh… okay!" Kira stopped checking the contents in his cargo hold and followed Mu. It looked like Kira had to wait till the end of the mission before he could see just what he had tractored into his ship, "Well, I'll just take it that I saved Liberty pilot's life. Maybe I can get him to give me a treat later."

"Alright, we'll take the trade lane to Fort Bush," Mu ordered, "You go first, Kira."

It did not take long for Kira to forget about the life pod, though, for within a few seconds, Kira's Starflier docked with the Trade Lane and was propelled forward at an insane speed, as was Mu's Moebius Zero. Kira spent the next twenty seconds or so listening to Mu's ramblings about the earlier attack on the _Donau_ before he caught sight of Fort Bush, a base maintained by Liberty Police Inc, some distance ahead. The Starflier soon slowed down and was out of the trade lane soon after. Kira looked ahead and spotted three transports waiting for him.

"There they are," Mu spoke as he came out of the trade lane, "Enter formation with them, Kira. We will head straight for Pittsburg from here."

"Got it," Kira entered formation and watched as the ship's auto-pilot took over. From here on, his ship would just stay beside the transport and follow them to Pittsburg.

Taking his hands off the controls, Kira watched as the formation entered another trade lane and was propelled forward. _Honestly, am I a magnet for catastrophes or what? First Freeport 7. Next, a Rheinland battleship was destroyed right in front of me in what is supposed to be the safest place in Liberty. This mission better be smooth sailing, or I'm going to go crazy._

"Alert! Trade lane disrupted! Long range sensors are picking up multiple contacts. It's the Liberty Rogues!"

Kira rolled his eyes in frustration as he took his ship off the auto-pilot, "That's it! I've had enough! They better have some Sidewinder Fang in Pittsburg!"

* * *

_**End of Chapter 01**_

_**Kira's luck is not going any better as he witnessed the destruction of the Donau right in front of his own eyes. The convoy he was escorting was then attacked by the Liberty Rogues. How will everything turn out? And who was in the life pod that Kira tractored into his ship?**_

_**Hope I wrote this chapter well. Please tell me if you like my "crazier" depiction of Tolle. I always had the impression that Tolle was the playful sort when I watched the first episode of Gundam Seed, especially when he playfully "strangled" Kira from behind in the lab. Kira will also be the "pre-Freedom" version (hope you get what I mean) for most, or even all, of the story. **_

_**Feel free to clarify with me if you have any questions regarding some of the terms or locations in this chapter, especially since most of you will be unfamiliar with the Freelancer Universe.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Ch 02: The Unseen Danger

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

* * *

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 02: The Unseen Danger**

* * *

_--Liberty News Flash--_

_Rheinland Admiral Otto Schultzky has been assassinated yesterday when he arrived in Liberty for a high level meeting with the President. All evidence point to the criminal organization, The Order, as the most probable culprit. The President was visibly shaken when she heard that the ship carrying the Admiral was totally destroyed on its final approach to Newark Station. After extending her condolences to Rheinland, she ordered a full inquest, immediately charging the LSF to pursue The Order as its number one priority._

* * *

**Pittsburg Debris Field, Sector 3F, New York System**

One of the major disadvantages of using Trade Lanes was that criminals can monitor and disrupt a Trade Lane. This meant that ships carrying valuable cargo could suddenly find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of pirates or criminals beside them. This was exactly the case as the convoy Kira was escorting was stuck in the Pittsburg Debris Fields with close to a dozen Liberty Rogues converging on them.

"Kira! Take down the Rogues! Don't let them destroy a single transport!" Mu ordered as he prepared for his second fight of the day.

Kira sighed deeply as he did not want to fight at all. He had no choice, though. It would take some time for the trade lane to be back online again, and the Liberty Rogues were closing in fast. Kira looked at his ship's sensors and counted four Bloodhound light fighters approaching from his side. At least Kira was better off than Mu, who had to take on eight Bloodhounds at one time.

"Let's see," Kira made one final check at his ship's weapons system, "Two 20mm Machine Guns and one miserable 10cm railgun. No missiles, and only ten countermeasure flares. Juni sure gave me one hell of a ship."

Barely seconds after the engagement, Kira was on the defensive as several missiles came straight at him. Firing a few countermeasure flares, Kira managed to avoid getting hit. Going around the many floating objects in the debris field, Kira managed to pull behind one of the Bloodhounds. Kira went trigger happy for a moment as he fired all his ship's weapons and ripped the enemy apart with a flurry of bullets.

"Not bad, kid!" Mu commented as Kira scored his first kill of the day, "Oops, not so easy!" Mu's Moebius Zero easily dodged a Bloodhound that snuck from behind and destroyed it with one of his wired guided gun barrels.

Things started to look bad for Kira once he destroyed the previous Rogues ship though. Hungry for revenge, the remaining three Bloodhounds fired their linear guns simultaneously at Kira. While the Starflier was an extremely maneuverable ship, the same could be said of the Bloodhounds used by the Rogues. To top it off, the Starflier's armor wasn't the thickest around, and Kira had to pull off the most complex of maneuvers to avoid the seemingly omni directional fire from his enemies. Cornered by his enemies, Kira could only weave his way in and out of the debris field as he desperately tried to avoid getting hit.

"Mu! Help me! I'm being pinned down by three ships!" Kira shouted in desperation as he could not shake off the chasing trio of Liberty Rogues. There was a reason why the Starflier was the cheapest ship in the Sirius Sector.

"Wow, this kid is pretty skillful at dodging," Mu mumbled to himself as Kira was able to dodge whatever attacks the Liberty Rogues were throwing at him. Even a seasoned pilot from the Liberty Navy would find it hard to dodge three Rogue fighters coming in from the rear, especially if the ship you're in is a piece of junk like the Starflier. Nevertheless, Mu still headed for Kira. He was done with the eight Bloodhounds that dared to challenge him anyway.

"Argh! It's do or die!" Kira shouted as he cut the engines of his fighter.

Kira's ship came to a complete halt almost immediately while the chasing Bloodhounds, unable to react in time, overtook Kira's ship and shot past him. Kira's plan had worked as he was now behind his enemies. The Liberty Rogues were obviously not the best pilots around. Kira opened fire and took out one of the Rogues easily. The remaining two Bloodhounds were easily destroyed by Mu's dancing gun barrels.

By the time the Rogues were taken out, the Trade Lane was back online, "Lieutenant La Flaga, the Trade Lane is back up!" the lead transport radioed.

"Kira, dock with the Trade Lane now! We wouldn't want anymore Rogues to pester us!" Mu ordered as several more Bloodhounds were detected on the long range sensors.

Kira promptly did as instructed. His first ever real combat was more than enough. Kira would do anything to avoid any further fighting. The Starflier was docked with the Trade Lane and before he knew it, Pittsburg was right in front. Kira was thanking the heavens and whatever came into his mind as the mission ended without much mishap. At least none of the transports blew up like the Rheinland battleship earlier.

"Everyone alright?" Mu asked as he pulled closer to the convoy.

"All systems are green. We're alright. Thanks for the escort, Lieutenant," the transports replied.

"The LSF is always happy to help out," Mu said as the transports proceeded towards Pittsburg.

"Is that all?" Kira asked as the convoy disappeared from sight.

"That's all, kid. Why don't you dock with Planet Pittsburg? I will join you later," Mu suggested.

"Sure thing," Kira was more than willing to set his feet on solid ground, especially after all that had happened.

**Landing Pad, Planet Pittsburg, Sector 2F, New York System**

Planet Pittsburg was certainly not the prettiest piece of rock you can find. Flying down from above, all Kira saw was a vast expense of rocks and sand. There wasn't any hint of vegetation on the planet's desert surface. The only sign of activity on this barren planet were huge mining facilities that covered a good portion of Pittsburg surface. Uninviting and dusty, Kira found the surrounding area far from his liking.

It did not take long for Mu to join Kira as he landed in a Patriot Light Fighter. Mu had switched to a normal fighter ship since the Moebius Zero was incapable of atmospheric flight.

Mu looked at Kira and could see that he wasn't too impressed with Pittsburg, "Hey kid, welcome to Planet Pittsburg. Not the most exciting of places, but what it lacks in class, it more than makes up with its cheap drinks."

Kira nearly suffered a heart attack when he heard what Mu said. Cheap wasn't a word associated with his Sindwinder Fang, though you could probably strike a relation with the dreaded Liberty Ale.

Mu continued as Kira remained silent, "Not bad for a rookie, kid," Mu patted Kira's back, though it seemed more like a slap to Kira.

"Thanks," Kira wasn't sure on what to say.

"I'll have the payment transferred to your neural net right away. You might want to check out the equipment dealer over there. That piece of junk you have sure needs some upgrades," Mu said as he gulped down a mug of Liberty Ale, much to Kira's disgust.

"Guess I'll head back to Manhattan now," Kira remembered that Tolle was still on Manhattan, not to mention their one million credits, "Nice meeting you, Mu."

"You're not having anything to drink?" Mu held up his mug of Liberty Ale to Kira, "They're really cheap here."

"Err… no thanks…"

**Landing Pad, Planet Manhattan, Sector 4C, New York System**

"Phew… that was one hell of a ride," Kira wiped off his perspiration as he stepped off the Starflier, "Guess I'll check up on Tolle. He should have recovered from his hangover by now."

Kira hurriedly made his way to the hotel where he had dumped his friend into. If possible, Kira wanted to be back at the hotel before Tolle woke up. He certainly did not want Tolle to wake up alone and wander off to some faraway place. Leaving his ship behind, Kira had clearly forgotten about the life pod he had tractored in earlier.

"Damn, just where the heck am I?" the pilot in the life pod mumbled as she tried to force her way out of the life pod, "Trust those Rheinlanders to design a life pod that cannot be opened from the inside!"

The trapped pilot tried to kick her way out of the life pod - the mechanism for opening the life pod was damaged when the pilot ejected. After some effort, the door finally gave way, but all the pilot could see was pitch darkness. Understandable, since she was inside the cargo hold of Kira's Starflier. Feeling for her pistol, the trapped pilot made sure her weapon was in working condition and then proceeded to find a way out.

"Whoever got me here is going to pay for it," the pilot hissed as she searched for the entrance of the Starflier's cargo hold.

**Hotel, Planet Manhattan, Sector 4C, New York System**

It was 4 a.m. in the morning by the time Kira reached the hotel. After all the unwanted action he got, Kira was desperate to get a much needed rest.

"You're finally back," Tolle was up by the time Kira returned, showing no hint of his alcoholic rampage the night before.

"Looks like you're fine," Kira replied as he slumped on the bed, "You recover fast from hangovers as always."

Tolle continued to switch the TV channels once every second as he found nothing interesting to watch, "You, on the other hand, take bazillion years to recover from hangovers."

Kira scowled at his friend's comments as he wasn't particularly proud of his inability to recover from hangovers. Tolle ignored Kira's scowling, "So, what were you up to?"

"Just doing some mission," Kira replied, "I've just earned 2000 credits and a Starflier. If you want, I can stash you inside the cargo hold and fly back to Leeds after we squeeze out our one million credits from Yuna."

"Are you stupid or what? I'll freaking buy a GINN if I have one million credits," Tolle spent the next few seconds picturing himself piloting the most advanced machine in the whole of Sirius before Kira snapped him out of his wishful thinking.

"And how are you supposed to get your hand on one?" Kira did not hesitate to bring Tolle back to reality.

It was now Tolle's turn to scowl at Kira, "So, what's next?"

"Sleep," Kira soon curled up underneath the soft blanket. After all the destruction with Freeport 7, an exploding Rheinland battleship and a near death experience with the Liberty Rogues, the only thing Kira had on his mind was to sleep.

Tolle couldn't help but take a dig at Kira, "As always, you sleep like a child."

"Shutwp," was Kira's muffled response.

"Well, guess I'll join you," Tolle switched off the lights and soon dozed off as well.

**Manhattan Bar, Planet Manhattan, Sector 4C, New York System**

It was close to noon when Tolle entered the bar. Fresh after a long rest, Tolle was itching for another round of drinking. Someone had to spend the 2000 credits Kira just earned, after all.

"Looking for a drink?" the bartender happily greeted his customer as Tolle made his way into the bar.

"Yup," Tolle replied, "Just give me anything, except for that Liberty Ale, of course."

"No problem," the bartender handed Tolle a fresh mug of booze.

Tolle was about to indulge in another of his drinking binges when he felt a tap on his shoulders.

"Excuse me; you're a friend of Kira Yamato, aren't you?" a lady asked from behind.

"Yes, and who are you?" Tolle spun around to see Juni standing behind him, her arms crossed, "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me. Feeling disappointed?" Juni sort of had an aversion to Tolle, not surprising considering how a drunken Tolle made a fool of himself the day before at the very same bar, "Would you mind telling that friend of yours that I have another assignment for him? Tell him to meet me here in two hours time."

"Sure," Tolle nodded his head as Juni made her way out, "Boy is she moody. I really wonder if she has a boyfriend."

The bartender let out a giggle, "That's Jun'ko Zane for you."

"Whatever," Tolle was starting to find the bartender irritating, "Maybe I should go check out Kira's ship."

**Landing Pad, Planet Manhattan, Sector 4C, New York System**

Tolle was lost for words as he surveyed the battered Starflier resting on the landing pad. Even a second hand waste disposal ship was more pleasing to the eye. Everything about Kira's Starflier was wrong. Apart from the fact that the Starflier was the cheapest light fighter in the whole of Sirius, it also happened to be the least armored fighting vessel. To add on to the problem, the Starflier Kira was given looked to be in pretty bad shape. The paint was peeling off, one of the weapon slots was damaged and door for the cargo hold could not even close properly. Wait, the cargo hold door was damaged?

"Jeez, just what is Kira thinking? The door for the cargo hold can't even close properly. How did he even manage to survive in space?" Tolle was indeed puzzled. If the door of the Starflier's cargo hold was faulty, the vessel should by right be incapable of space flight. The inside of the vessel would be exposed to the outside environment and an explosion would result normally.

"Man, is Kira lucky or what?" Upon closer inspection, however, Tolle realized that the cargo hold door was damaged from the inside.

_Who did this? _Tolle was observing the cargo hold for more clues when his train of thought was disrupted by the sensation of cold steel on his neck. He promptly lifted his arms in the air, "Whoa… who's there?"

"Place your hands on the wall and don't move. I shall ask; and you will answer," Cagalli pressed the barrel of her pistol hard against Tolle's neck.

_Damn you Kira! Just what did you tractor in!? _Making sure not to make any foolish actions, Tolle followed whatever instructions given to him. In no time, he found himself tied up in the Starflier's cargo hold.

"Hey! Watch it!" Tolle groaned in pain as Cagalli tightened the ropes that were restraining him.

"Shut up!" the blonde nearly gave Tolle a taste of her knuckles, "I'm the one in charge here!"

"Alright, you win! Stop hitting me!" Tolle shouted back. First, the moody Jun'ko Zane with an attitude. Now, a rough tomboy with a violent streak. Tolle could not believe his luck with girls. The only girl he got lucky with was and still is Miriallia.

"First, who are you working for? Second, where are you intending to do, locking me up in your ship?" Cagalli asked firmly, her pistol aimed at Tolle's face.

"First of all, I did not tractor you in, bitch!" Tolle soon regretted his less than pleasing language as he received a painful slap from Cagalli. _My Miriallia's still the best._

"THEN WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING ON MANHATTAN!?"

"Easy," for a brief moment after Cagalli screamed off her head, all Tolle could hear was a ringing in his ear, "The one piloting this ship was Kira, not me. Judging by his nature, he probably tractored in your life pod by mistake."

"Then who is this Kira working for?" Cagalli demanded.

"He's just doing some freelance assignment for Jun'ko Zane! He doesn't belong to any organization!" Tolle screamed back as he stared Cagalli down.

"Who's Jun'ko Zane?" Cagalli asked again, her already loud voice was going up as her anger and frustration grew.

"She works for the LSF! That's all I know!"

Wrong thing to say.

"So you guys are working for them?" Cagalli slammed Tolle against the wall again, much to his despair.

"I told you! We don't work for anybody!" Tolle replied defensively.

"Just what is Azrael planning?" Cagalli continued to question aggressively.

"Who's Azrael?" whatever came out of Cagalli's mouth were like gibberish to Tolle. He had no idea who Cagalli was referring to.

"Stop playing dumb with me! You know very well that I can…" the blonde was losing her patience as Tolle failed to answer her questions.

"Shoot him?" Cagalli was interrupted.

Cagalli turned around in surprise only to find herself staring down the barrel of Kira's pistol. Kira's eyes were fixed on Cagalli, his gaze showing no hint of fear or hesitation. His eyes meant business; no emotion, no mercy. Tolle looked on in awe as he had never seen Kira act in such a way. The Kira he knew all along was gentle, kind and absolutely useless in physical confrontations; yet his friend was acting like a seasoned soldier at that very instant.

"Who are you?" Cagalli tried not to be affected by Kira's uncompromising demeanor.

"Who are you?" Kira threw the question back.

"I asked the question first, brown head," Cagalli retorted defiantly.

"You're the one in the life pod, aren't you?" Kira said as he removed the pistol from Cagalli's hands, showing a degree of calmness unlike his usual behavior, "And you're not from the Navy."

"So you're the one who tractored me in. Who do you work for?" Cagalli asked as she looked fearlessly at Kira.

"Kira Yamato," Kira replied, "I work for myself. Now that I've introduced myself, shouldn't you return the favor?"

"Cagalli. I work for… well…" the blonde wasn't sure on what to say.

"For who?" Kira demanded.

_Shit. I can't reveal my real identity; I'll be dead if I'm handed over to the authorities. Who do I work for? Who do I work for?_ Cagalli was trying to think of the best possible answer, "I… I was hired by Interspace Commerce to transport some…"

"Some what?" Kira was beginning to doubt that Cagalli was telling the truth.

"… some stuff!" Cagalli blurted out, "I just got out of Newark Station when that attacked happened. My freighter was hit by a stray missile and before I knew it, my life pod was tractored in… by you!"

Kira's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Cagalli from top to bottom. Apart from her flight suit, there was nothing on Cagalli to give any hint on her true identity.

"Then why the heck were you so agitated to be on Manhattan?" Tolle asked as he sensed a lie.

"I thought you stole the goods or something!" Cagalli gave whatever reason she could think of. _Damn, I don't think I actually answered his question._

Kira and Tolle eyed Cagalli for a few minutes as she sounded far from convincing. Any person with common sense and acceptable IQ could tell that she was lying.

Deciding to give Cagalli the benefit of doubt, Kira removed his pistol from her face and held back the aggressiveness he had. Seeing that Cagalli was no longer showing any form of resistance, Kira relaxed.

"Truce?" the brunet offered a handshake to Cagalli, who could not believe her blatant lie worked. Tolle felt the same way; Kira had reverted back to his kind and "easy to take advantage of" nature.

"Yeah," Cagalli agreed. _In the name of Kusari, how am I still alive?_

"I can't believe you did that," Tolle said as he was freed from the ropes binding him, "But anyway, you looked pretty 'deadly' just now."

Kira smiled sheepishly, "Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing just now."

Kira was right. He was normally a rather shy and reserved person, with a high degree of kindness that few people could match. Forget about beating up someone, Kira did not even dare to squash an ant. Yet, during that brief exchange with Cagalli, his personality somehow transformed. It was as if a darker version on him took control.

Deep down, Kira was worried about that sudden change in personality. There was something strange about his behavior earlier. In fact, Kira had been feeling weird ever since he took up the assignment Juni gave him. He had felt a sudden rush of adrenaline in the fight against the Liberty Rogues; something he had never felt before. That he could actually pull the trigger so naturally against the Rogue fighters was surprising enough; but the way he handled the situation with Cagalli was even more shocking. Kira somehow felt like there was another side of him waiting to be unleashed.

"Kira, you're alright?" Tolle noticed Kira drifting into his own world, "What's with that blank expression?"

Kira nearly let out a shout as Tolle's face was only millimeters away from his own, "I'm fine… really."

"You're sure?" Tolle was far from convinced, but he let it go since there was a more pressing issue on hand, "Quick, go meet that Jun'ko Zane at the bar. She wanted to see you. Use this opportunity to earn more credits."

"Okay," Kira nodded obediently.

"And ask for a bonus too, if possible," there was no way Tolle was going to let Juni have an easy time.

"Got it," Kira sort of guessed Tolle would say that, "I'm going to meet her now."

Tolle watched as Kira made his way to the bar. He turned to Cagalli, "Hey, little princess, I don't care who you are. It doesn't take much to realize that you're more than meets the eye. All I can say is that I don't intend to get involved with whatever you're doing. I would appreciate if you would leave us."

Cagalli, though, had other ideas, "One hundred thousand credits, if you can ensure my safety and take me to Freeport 9 in the Omicron Theta System."

Tolle's eyes brightened at Cagalli's offer, "Now you're talking. Give me the details, little princess."

"STOP CALLING ME A PRINCESS!"

**Manhattan Bar, Planet Manhattan, Sector 4C, New York System**

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Yamato. How are things?" the bartender seemed happy to see Kira for some reason.

"Fine," Kira looked around and could not spot Juni, "Any idea where Jun'ko might be?" he asked the bartender.

"Miss Zane sent me a message. She asked you to meet her on the terraforming station on California Minor," the bartender replied.

_(Note: California Minor is another planet in the California System, another star system belonging to House Liberty.)_

"Anything else?" Kira asked.

"Nope, that was all," the bartender answered, "Drink, Mr. Yamato?"

"No thanks," Kira politely refused, "I've got to get going."

**Some distance from Landing Pad**

_What is Juni thinking? California Minor? That's just great. _Kira thought to himself as he walked back to the Starflier.

Kira's luck, however, was going to get even worse. Even before he could even react in anyway, someone came from behind and pointed a pistol at his back.

"What the…"

The man behind said in a hushed voice, "Don't move," Kira recognized the voice instantly.

"Yuna, is that you?" Kira made a gamble and turned around, "When did they release you from medical?"

As expected, Yuna did not pull the trigger, much to Kira's relief.

Yuna started talking, but not to answer Kira's questions, "You think you're safe? But you're not."

Kira looked at Yuna, dumbfounded, "Yuna, what are you talking about?"

"What do you think happened to Freeport 7, huh?" Yuna was looking extremely unstable as he gestured wildly while speaking.

"It was blown to dust," Kira replied, "Like my ship and the million credits which by the way, you still owe me."

Yuna took a step back and shook his head, "Easy come easy go."

"No… no… we had a deal," Kira was not going to let Yuna off regarding the million credits.

"A deal that died with the station! You've got to…" Yuna held his hands on his head as he felt a throbbing pain on his temples, "Everything just seems so long ago, doesn't matter any way. They want us all dead, Kira!"

Kira was getting confused, but he decided to probe further, "Who wants us all dead."

"Men, government men," Yuna's gesticulating arms were a worrying sign to Kira, "They all after me. But I'm smart, I escaped from medical."

"You what?" Kira thought that was it; Yuna was a goner, "You escaped? Why did you do that?"

"I had to. They came for me, Kira," Yuna continued as paced around Kira panicky, "Because of what I saw, on the station. I saw what did this to us, to me!"

"Slow down, Yuna. What did you see," despite how flustered he looked, Kira had a hunch that Yuna wasn't lying.

"There were these ships… these huge robots…" Yuna mumbled softly as he tried to recollect what he saw.

_Mobile suits? _Kira assumed the robots Yuna were talking about were mobile suits, "Go on, Yuna."

"These ships… robots… they were there… they weren't there," Yuna said as he could not find any suitable words to describe what he saw.

"Yuna, you're not making any sense," Kira said.

"You don't understand!" Yuna snapped at Kira, "They know me now; I'm not safe here anymore! None of the Freeport 7 survivors are! We are the last few Freeport 7 survivors; the rest are either dead or missing. Kira, we've got to get off Manhattan!"

"Yuna, calm down," Kira did not like what was happening.

"Listen to me!" Yuna got aggressive all of a sudden as he lifted up his pistol, "Liberty's not safe anymore! Something is happening! I don't know what it is, but there's some conspiracy going on!"

"What conspiracy?" Kira asked again.

"Just listen to me!" Yuna raised his voice again, "I here to warn you, I thought I owed it to the both of you. Don't try to follow me, Kira. Get out of Liberty while you still can!"

With that, Yuna ran off as Kira stood where he was, unable to digest whatever had just happened. Nothing made sense. _Just what was Yuna talking about? What exactly did he saw? Is Liberty really unsafe?_

_Wait, someone's watching me. _Kira was trying to figure out the meaning of Yuna's words when he felt like someone was observing him in secret. He spun around but saw no one nearby. Someone was watching him. Kira did not know who or where the person was watching him from. For what reason was he being observed. Was it because of what happened at Freeport 7? Or was it because of Yuna? Kira had no idea. All he knew was that his every movement were being observed, and he did not like it.

Kira made his way back to the landing pad as quick as he could, even breaking into a slow jog sometimes. Whatever Yuna just said made no sense at all, but those seemingly nonsensical words gave Kira a chill down the spine. Every part of his body was warning him. There was no logical reasoning, but Kira felt that he should meet up with Juni as soon as possible. With the confusion going on, meeting up with Juni was probably the safest bet; Juni was the only one in Liberty Kira could bring himself to trust at the current moment.

Whatever the reasons for his outburst, Yuna was right. The best move was to get off Manhattan. Everything else could wait till later. Kira jumped into the Starflier's cockpit and started the engines.

_**End of Chapter 02**_

* * *

**Identifying the approximate location of a base within a system**

Throughout the course of the story, you will find me describing certain locations based on their sectors (i.e. Sector 4D, 6E, 2G, etc.). The sectors are determined by reading the vertical coordinates followed by the horizontal coordinates.

1--y---------

2------------

3---------x--

---A--B--C--

For example, if I say a base is located in Sector 3C, it is located at the South-East corner of the above map (point "x"). A base located in Sector 1A will be at the North-West corner of the map (point "y"). The sun(s) of each system is usually located at the center of the entire map.

Freelancer maps have vertical coordinates ranging from 1 to 8, and horizontal coordinates from A to H. For a full sized map, Sector 3C is located slightly North-West of the sun while Sector 1A is at the top left hand corner (north-west).

* * *

_**Destruction of Freeport 7, the attack on Admiral Schultzky's battleship, a suspicious looking girl in his ship's cargo hold and shocking words from the ever unreliable Yuna. Can things get any worse for Kira? Even as Kira rushes to California Minor to meet Juni, can the problems hounding him be resolved. More importantly, can Juni actually be trusted?**_

_**That's the second chapter for you all. Quite a lot of happenings in this chapter, but I assure that things will get even more interesting in the subsequent chapters. The G-Weapons (Strike and company) will probably make their debut within the next two or three chapters.**_

_**For those familiar with the Freelancer storyline, you will notice quite a few similarities to the first few missions in the game (including the dialogues). Just to let you know, I will be diverging from the actual Freelancer story very soon. I will probably be following the sequence of locations quite closely, though (i.e. story will start out in Liberty, followed by Bretonia, Kusari, Rheinland, etc.). **_

_**If anyone has a suggestion (like OCs, mecha, ships, whatever you can think off), feel free to tell me. I don't mind having more ideas. Thanks for reading!**_


	6. Ch 03: Disappearing Act

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

* * *

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 03: Disappearing Act**

* * *

_--Liberty News Flash--_

_Doctors at the Williams-Creek Medical Center have reported several deaths in Ward 13, the sealed treatment facility for the survivors of Freeport 7. "These deaths are regrettable," they say, but not surprising due to their extensive injuries. However, we've also learnt that at least one patient appears to be unaccounted for at this moment. Though doctors and LSF officials refused to comment, we understand that the hospital security is looking into the matter._

* * *

"**Duffy's" Bar, Planet California Minor, Sector 6E, California System**

Duffy's Bar. One of the many unimpressive bars that line the icy surface of Planet California Minor. A small icy planet with an unusually active volcanic system, the planet was previously considered to be unsuitable for conventional terraforming. The once barren planet has since undergone a new type of terraforming, driving droves of manual laborers to its few hospitable areas. The many bars that exist serve as the only place for the numerous manual laborers to rest and relax. Considering the kind of customers it was serving, Duffy's Bar was considered to be one of the "recommended entertainment areas" on the planet given its clean and simple interior.

Three youngsters were seated at a table located at the edge of the bar, overlooking the pale and dull icy surface that covered the entire planet. Kira sat opposite Tolle while Cagalli, who had by then changed into a red T-shirt and khaki pants, sat to his right.

"Why are we here?" arms crossed as he settled down at one of the tables, Tolle's frustration was evident. He had spent the entire journey from the New York System to the California System holed up in the Starflier's less than impressive cargo hold; with its previously damaged door patched up hastily. Cagalli at least got to sit on Kira's lap in the air conditioned cockpit. _Kira, you're a jerk._

"I can explain, Tolle," Kira tried to appease his fuming friend, "I felt that we had to get off Manhattan."

"What's wrong with Manhattan?" Tolle was none too pleased with the answer, "And I hope you did not forget about Yuna. Our one million credits are still lying in the medical center. Not to mention that you tried to bring that junk of a Starflier into space with a cargo hold hatch that couldn't even close properly. Are you trying to get us all killed back then?"

"Well… I was a little too panicky then. You see, I was returning to the ship when Yuna came up from behind and…"

"You met Yuna?" jumping at the mention of Yuna's name, Tolle did not give Kira the chance to finish what he wanted to say. Everything else seemed unimportant in the face of his one million credits, "Did he say anything about our million credits?"

Kira shook his head, "Nothing about the money. He said he escaped from medical and that government men were after him. At first I thought that he lost it; but I changed my mind after seeing how serious he was."

"What?" Tolle's get rich scheme was up in smokes, "What exactly is happening? Yuna being chased by government men just doesn't make sense. Why did he even have to escape from medical in the first place? How about our million credits?"

"He did not give me any details; he was too flustered back then," Kira continued, "But he did say that Manhattan was not safe for us anymore. I did not believe him at first, until I had the feeling that someone was watching me. My insides were somehow warning me and I felt extremely unsafe. I know it's sort of sudden and impulsive, but I just felt it better to leave Manhattan as quickly as possible."

Tolle slapped his forehead in disbelief, "Goodness gracious me! Only the queen of Bretonia knows what you were thinking back then."

"Besides, Juni told me to meet her at this bar," Kira said to Tolle, "We will come here no matter what."

"Whatever," Tolle picked up his drink and took a sip, "By the way, let's forget about that Jun'ko Zane. Our little princess over here has a way better deal for us."

Cagalli slammed her drink onto the table hard, sending a chilling stare at Tolle. She hated whenever he called her a princess. She had no idea why, but Tolle seemed to like calling her that.

"Fine, I'm sorry," While he did not turn to meet her glare directly, Tolle was fully aware that Cagalli was about to flare up anytime. He resolved in his mind not to call her a princess anymore. His life wasn't worth throwing away for such an insignificant matter.

Cagalli wasn't too satisfied with Tolle's half-hearted apology, but she let it go and brought the glass up to her lips. She sighed in dismay when she realized that slamming her glass of beverage down hard had sent most of the liquid spilling onto the table top.

After ensuring that Cagalli was in a more "stable" mood, Kira probed her for details of the deal she had earlier proposed to Tolle, "What deal do you have for us, Cagalli?"

"Ensure my safety and make escort me to Freeport 9 in the Omicron Theta System," Cagalli replied, still scowling a little, "A hundred thousand credits."

Kira balked at the final destination, "Omicron Theta? That's far too dangerous! How do you expect the three of us to survive the Border Worlds in a Starflier? This ship won't survive outside of Liberty space."

"Hold on," Cagalli stopped Kira before he could say any further, "I know it's impossible for any of us to survive in the Border Worlds now. That's why I said 'ensure my safety' first; then escort me to Freeport 9. In other words, until I have the means to return to Freeport 9, the two of you will serve as my bodyguards. The two of you just need to protect me from my enemies."

"And who are your enemies?" Kira asked.

Cagalli paused for a few seconds, "Pirates… of course!" she stuttered, praying with all she had that Kira would believe her.

Tolle leaned forward to close the distance between him and Kira, "Come on, Kira. We just need to baby sit her and then escort her back to Freeport 9. Even big corporations like Interspace Commerce don't pay as much!" he whispered excitedly; the lure of big money too much to resist.

"Fine," Kira nodded after some persuasion from Tolle, "But we will withdraw from the deal if your enemies are more than just pirates."

"Fine with me," Cagalli had no choice but to agree.

Tolle waved to one of the waiters as he looked for his second mug of drink, "Great! I take it that the deal is done! Anyway, is that Jun'ko Zane coming at all?"

"Well, speak of the devil," Kira pointed to the bar's entrance. Sure enough, Juni walked up towards them the instance she spotted them. Not far behind was Mu, still in his flight suit.

"I'm glad you came," Juni hesitated a little, but she sat down on the seat beside Tolle anyway, "I was wondering if you would come all the way here."

"I came all the way here, didn't I? So, what's the reason for meeting in such a desolate place?"

Juni took a look around the bar before leaning forward towards Kira, her voice lowered to a hush, "What do you know about cardamine, Kira?"

Kira was surprised at such a question, "It's a drug produced by the Outcasts, isn't it? All the major houses have declared it a contraband item. What about it?"

"Apparently, the Outcasts have been trying to use this highly addictive drug to corrode the major houses from within. Notable criminal organizations like the Rogues and Lane Hackers are already under their control thanks to these drugs. To make matters worst, they have now engaged smugglers to spread the illegal use of cardamine even further. As you can guess, Liberty's not spared from this cardamine invasion as well."

Kira looked up as Mu explained the growing drug problem in Liberty. In his travels in the Border Worlds, Kira had often come into contact with the Outcasts in the Freeports. Anyone could recognize an Outcast; their distinctive cardamine inhalers constantly feeding them with their fix for the drug. Being highly addictive, cardamine was widely regarded as the most potent of all illegal drugs.

Juni glared at Mu for speaking before her, "Last week, we managed to capture one of the top smugglers in the illegal cardamine trade. His name is Sean Ashcroft, and he is currently being held in the_Missouri_."

"The_Missouri_?" Tolle blurted out.

"Can you let me finish?" Juni snapped at Tolle.

"It's that Liberty Navy Dreadnaught-class flagship stationed in the New York System. It also happens to be the flagship of the entire Navy," Mu kindly whispered into Tolle's ears, earning him another stare from Juni for saying more than he should.

With a brief jerk of her head to show her slight irritation, Juni continued with what she wanted to say, "After several rounds of interrogation, we are led to believe that there are spies with the ranks of the LSF. It is probably due to them that we have been rather unsuccessful in our fight against the cardamine smugglers. My CO has ordered a priority operation to expose this traitor, and since I need someone outside of the LSF to do the job, I thought of you."

"Ok, so what am I supposed to do?" Kira asked.

"You will be escorting a shipment of cardamine to Willard Research Station, a base some distance from here. The scientists there will need this shipment to gain more knowledge on this "poison'. If there really is a traitor, he or she will find this too good an opportunity to pass on," Juni explained.

"So I'll be flying with Mu again?" it was pretty obvious that having Mu around was the best insurance possible.

"Nope," Juni replied, to the dismay of Kira, "Someone like him will stand out like a sore thumb. I doubt the enemy would try to mount an attack on the convoy if they know that Mu is escorting it. You will be flying with me and another wing of LSF fighters. You'll be paid 3000 credits. Interested?"

Kira thought for a while as the mission sounded dangerous. He wanted to reject the mission as the convoy was almost certain to be attacked, but he knew the reward for successfully completing the job was needed. On second thought, it might not be that dangerous since Juni and another wing of fighters would be accompanying him.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Great, I'll meet you in space," Juni got up immediately.

Kira turned to Tolle, "Just wait here, ok? I'll be back shortly…" he was stopped from completing what he wanted to say.

"Shh…" Tolle cocked his head sideways, directing Kira's attention to a news broadcast, "The news."

He did not know what was happening, but Kira did as asked and turned to a large monitor on the wall. Kira's eyes widened in shock as he listened. It felt as if a sledgehammer was being sent on his head as the news was read.

_The LSF says it has now seriously crippled The Order by bringing down their top man. Again, the LSF reports that their actual leader, previously known only by his code name - Orillion - was shot and killed while trying to escape from Liberty into Rheinland Space. In addition, Liberty officials have also just released his real name… …_

"Yuna Roma Seiran," Kira could not believe it when he saw Yuna's picture on the news. It was only hours ago that Yuna was standing in front of him alive, even if he was in a flustered state.

"What the…" Cagalli was equally surprised by the news, "Just what do they think they are doing?"

Juni and Mu, on the other hand, were understandably shocked that Kira knew who the leader of The Order was, "How did you know that?" Juni asked.

"We met him on Freeport 7. He was a trader, or at least I thought he was," Kira replied, a look of disbelief plastered all over his face. _Maybe Yuna wasn't just being paranoid back then._

"He must be doing recon before the attack," Juni concurred.

Tolle was quick to correct her statement, "It wasn't before; it was during. He almost died out there. It doesn't make sense."

"He doesn't look smart enough to be a terrorist, let alone lead them," Kira added.

"Well, whoever he was, he's dead now. Come on, Kira. We've got a job to do."

Juni turned, weaved through the crowd that had gathered to watch the news, pushed opened the wooden wing door and stepped out of the bar. The only thing on her mind was the possibility of a traitor hidden within the LSF; now that he's dead, the true identity of The Order's leader meant little to her. She quickened her pace as she headed for her Patriot Light Fighter.

"Kira, what's happening? When did Yuna…"

"Just wait here, ok? I'll be right back," Kira said to Tolle before trying to catch up with Juni. Nothing was going right at the moment.

Tolle nodded and slumped back to his seat upon realizing that his million credits had been reduced to dust, just like what happened to Freeport 7. The fact that Yuna was killed compounded the already bad situation they were in. There was no way Yuna could be the leader of a terrorist organization. He wasn't even that smart to begin with. Maybe it was just as Yuna said it – Liberty wasn't safe for any of them at the moment.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" even Cagalli was concerned as Tolle had a worried look.

Tolle jumped as both Mu and Cagalli tried to shake him to his senses, "Stop it! I'm alright!"

"Great!" Mu slapped Tolle at the back and pushed a mug of Liberty Ale to him, "Let's drink!"

"Arh… ok… … urgh… is this Liberty Ale?"

"Yup… isn't it the best?"

"It's the worst!"

"Don't they look carefree?" Seated some distance away, a man smiled to himself as he took a sip off his glass of wine. His dark and curly hair, reached down to slightly above his shoulders, was combed back neatly. Dressed in a formal business suit, he looked out of place in the gruff environment of California Minor, not that he cared much about it. Looking more like an important figure rather than another of California Minor's workers, he had been observing his targets for some time now.

"Commander Schnetzler, what do you intend to do now?" standing behind him was a young man barely twenty years of age.

"Watch carefully, Joel. If my predictions are correct, they will be our greatest enemies in due time. Rau's failure to eliminate them will prove to be his greatest mistake. After all, they are in possession of a superior body."

Joel Valentine scoffed at his master's remarks, "It's not like they're the only special ones. You're superior in all aspects compared to them, Commander Schnetzler."

"We'll see about that," standing up, Roman Schnetzler straightened his suit and headed for the exit, "Let's go, Joel."

"What's wrong, Mu?" Tolle asked as Mu paused from his talkative self for a moment, having the same sensation he got whenever his nemesis got near.

_What is that feeling? It feels almost like Rau, but it's not him. _Mu faked a smile as he brushed the ominous feeling inside of him, "It's nothing, kid. C'mon, let's continue drinking!"

**Equipment Dealer, Willard Research Station, Sector 6D, California System**

"That will be 500 credits for 20 countermeasure flares, sir," the equipment dealer said as Kira headed for the payment station. Swiping his card, Kira groaned as 500 credits was deducted from his neural net account.

"Would you like to upgrade that ship of yours?" the equipment dealer asked, hoping to squeeze more credits out of Kira.

Kira promptly rejected his offer. While the earlier battle against the cardamine smugglers was fierce, his Starflier received little damage thanks to the skill of the accompanying LSF wing. Apart from a few scratches and burn marks, the light fighter was in good condition otherwise. The only thing the Starflier desperately needed was a new paint job.

"Kira, meet me outside the station," rushing over to him, Juni had a worried look on her face.

"Juni, what's wrong? You don't look very well. Are you…"

"Just meet me outside, ok?" Juni wasted no time as she put on her helmet and climbed into the cockpit of her ship.

Kira followed suit. _That look on her face. Something must be wrong._

**Outside Willard Research Center, Sector 6D, California System**

_Freelancer Alpha 1-1, you're cleared for take off. Good luck out there._

Located within the Tahoe Ice Cloud of the California System, the area at which Willard Research Station was at did not have clear visibility. Unable to pin point Juni's exact location through the Starflier's windscreen, Kira had a good look at the ship's radar monitor. As Juni went out earlier, she was already some distance from the station. After spotting her ship's signal, Kira activated the thrust engines and went after her.

"Juni, are you alright? You sounded quite bad just now," Kira asked as he set a waypoint to planet California Minor and allowed the ship's auto-pilot to take over. Juni did likewise.

"Hold on, Kira. I'm switching to a secured channel."

_Secured channel? What's with the secrecy? _Kira had plenty of questions for Juni, but he decided to listen before asking any questions. The sound of static buzz cleared off as Juni completed the switch to a secured channel. Nobody else other than Kira would be able to connect to her for the moment. After a few seconds of silence, Juni spoke.

"Something's terribly wrong, Kira. After the attack on the convoy, it was pretty clear there is a mole in working in the Navy. I wanted to brief my CO regarding this matter, but reports say that he was being summoned back to Manhattan. He was actually being placed under arrest for treason. I wanted to find out more, but all my friends in headquarters have disappeared. The only person I was able to contact was Mu, who was having quite a nice time with that friend of yours."

_Disappeared?_ Kira felt a sense of dread when he heard what Juni said. He had felt it ever since Yuna warned him while on Manhattan, "How can it be possible, Juni? Are you telling me that high ranking LSF officers are vanishing just like that?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you now, Kira."

"Why me?" Kira asked.

"What do you mean?" Juni replied, surprised at Kira's question.

"Why are you telling me all these? I'm just a complete outsider, you know," Kira answered.

Juni paused for a moment as she looked ahead, the definite form of planet California Minor starting to take shape as they neared the edge of the Tahoe Ice Cloud. The two of them would be in open space very soon.

"I honestly don't know, Kira. Somehow, I just feel like I can trust you, that's all there is to it."

Kira felt a sense of relief when he heard Juni's words, for some reasons, "Trust? Strange, but that's how I feel too."

"That's how you feel?" Juni was beginning to get confused, "What do you mean?"

"Something happened, Juni," Kira went on, "I don't know the details, but I feel I should tell you about it."

"Tell me about…" Juni stopped all of a sudden. Saying that she was stunned was probably an understatement as the most unexpected of things lay ahead. Never in her wildest dreams did Juni expect to see such a sight. If anything could be described as being out of the world; that was it.

"No way," Kira could not believe his eyes either, for what was previously an empty expense of space was replaced by a black colored mobile suit. As far fetched as it may sound, Kira was certain that the unknown machine just appeared out of nowhere. It was as if that machine was equipped with some kind of cloaking device that allowed it to remain hidden from sight. He watched as the mobile suit uncloaked itself, changing from a fuzzy semi-translucent image into a clear cut one; without doubt a real object.

Intense fear gripped Juni as the unknown mobile suit blocked their path to California Minor, its menacing eyes flashed for a moment as if signaling its hostile intent. Logical reasoning told Juni that she needed to compose herself, but that was easier said than done.

"To unknown mobile suit, this is Lieutenant Jun'ko Zane of the LSF," Juni tried to sound as firm as possible, "Please identify yourself."

"Juni, what should we do? That guy's not responding at all," Kira gripped the controls of the ship tightly as he prepared for the worst; something he was accustomed to doing ever since Freeport 7 was unceremoniously reduced to a smothering heap of trash metal right in front of him.

"Keep your eyes open, Kira. Whoever is blocking our path doesn't look very friendly," Juni reminded as she watched the unknown mobile suit closely, making sure not to miss the slightest movements it might make.

_I'm sorry, but I'll have to eliminate the both of you. The two of you are our enemies, after all. I cannot allow it to happen again. _

Nicol Amalfi made a small prayer as he shifted his feet to the accelerator pedal, ready to floor the Blitz's thrusters at any moment. The young ace was about to make his move when he received a coded transmission.

"Capture Jun'ko Zane alive, if possible. And the elimination of Kira Yamato is to be considered top priority?" Nicol mumbled as he read the transmission, "So that how it's supposed to be, isn't it?" The Blitz Gundam turned and faced Kira's Starflier; it's intent clear by then.

"Kira, head for the ice cloud!"

Kira did not need Juni to tell him that. Turning his ship around as quickly as he could, Kira activated the cruise engines and headed straight for the Tahoe Ice Cloud with Juni following close behind. It was pretty obvious that two light fighter ships had no chance against a vastly superior mobile suit, especially since the dark colored enemy looked like a totally different type as compared to the standard GINN used by the Rheinland Military. Apart from the fact that the mobile suit was completely different from the GINN appearance wise, its sensory system seemed to utilize a different technology. Instead of the mono-eye sensory used by GINNs, the unknown mobile suit had two cameras shaped like the eyes of a human placed at the front of the head. More importantly, however, was that the mobile suit looked far more dangerous than the typical GINN.

"No way! That thing can catch up even when we're on cruise speed?" Juni exclaimed as the Blitz caught up with relative ease. Expecting at least a heavy impact as the Blitz approached her Patriot fighter's rear, Juni was surprised when it passed by her. The enemy's target seemed to be Kira.

"Just a little more!" Kira yanked at the controls as he raced for the ice cloud ahead. The low visibility within the ice cloud was probably his best chance to escape from the enemy without a fight. Anything more and his pathetic ship would be destroyed – like that Rheinland battleship the day before.

Nicol saw what Kira was attempting, but he was not worried at all, "It's no use trying that. Such a trick will not work on me." The Blitz closed the distance rapidly, easily dodging the few desperate shots by Juni.

"Damn!" Juni gritted her teeth in frustration as she entered the ice field, losing sight of Kira and the enemy.

Kira, on the other hand, was hoping he could 'lose sight' of the enemy as the Blitz was right on his tail. Swerving hard to his right, Kira managed to avoid a direct hit as the green colored beam shot scrapped the Starflier's hull slightly.

"What's that? That shot seemed too fast to be any sort of rail or linear gun," Kira thought as he tried to use the ice cloud as a cover, "Don't tell me that was a beam shot? Since when did somebody actually managed to develop a beam weapon that can actually work? Not to mention how much power a beam weapon will consume."

"What's wrong? Why can't I hit him?" Nicol let out a groan as another of his beam shot missed Kira's ship by a whisker. His opponent was somehow able to dodge every attempt, seemingly able to predict where Nicol was aiming at.

Unknown to himself, Kira was moving his ship in a way no normal human could. Constantly changing directions, his erratic movements were proving to be a problem even for the technologically advanced Blitz Gundam. Forced to use his cruise engines in order to keep up with Nicol's speed, Kira was unable to use any of his weapons. As long as a ship was in cruise mode, it would be unable to use any of its weapons in return for high speeds.

Seeing that his enemy was able to dodge his shots, Nicol decided to abandon his medium ranged attacks and opted for close combat. Launching the Blitz's Gleipnir anchor to the Starflier's left, Nicol forced Kira to make a sharp swerve to the right. Seeing that his opponent had moved as earlier predicted, Nicol activated the Blitz's beam saber, which was mounted on the suit's right arm mounted shield.

"Crap!" Kira cried out as the Blitz closed him down. With the Starflier only able to go as fast as its cruise speed, Kira knew he had no way of outrunning his enemy. Being faster than he was, Kira knew that his enemy would certainly overpower him easily in close combat.

"That's it!" Nicol made his final charge as Kira's ship had no way of avoiding a fatal slash.

"Don't you dare forget about me!" Having caught up by then, Juni snuck up on the Blitz and was above it before she was noticed. With all her guns pointed at the cockpit of the enemy mobile suit, Juni was certain victory belonged to her. Without any hesitation, she fired whatever weapons she had at the Blitz.

"Even a mobile suit won't survive a head on attack like this!" Juni shouted triumphantly, only to remain speechless as the Blitz emerged unscathed. "No way!" she cried in disbelief.

Nicol wasn't expecting Juni to show up like that, and his failure to dodge her shots was proof. He was, however, unhurt and quickly recovered from the surprise attack, "It's a good thing the Blitz's phase shift armor negates all physical attacks," Nicol mumbled as the Blitz remained on course to reach Kira's Starflier, "Otherwise, I would have died from that attack. I was too careless back then."

_Juni's attack had no effect?_ Kira watched in horror as the Blitz continued to charge towards him. With that last attack having no effect on the enemy, Kira knew that it was all but over. Kira scanned the controls of the Starflier and spotted what he was searching for.

Juni tried to give chase, but her fighter was clearly no match for the Blitz. She watched helplessly as the Blitz pulled up directly in front of the Starflier and swung its beam saber down, "Kira, eject now!" Juni screamed as the Starflier was cleanly sliced by the Blitz's beam saber.

With the Starflier taken care of, Nicol turned his machine towards Juni, "One more to go."

_**End of Chapter 03**_

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_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine**_

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_**Kira's luck has reached rock bottom this time round as an unknown mobile suit appeared with a technology never seen before and attacked him and Juni. Did he eject in time? Will Juni have any chance against her enemy?**_

_**Here's another chapter for you all; hope I did not jam too much in this one chapter. I've introduced two OCs briefly (they will feature quite heavily in later chapters) and a possible relationship between Rau and Roman (since Mu could sense Roman the same way he could sense Rau). Of course, Mu knows Rau, albeit in a different way as compared to Seed (since Liberty isn't technically at war with Rheinland). More importantly, one of the Gundams finally made their appearance, yeah! I'm sure you all will wonder where the heck is Athrun, right? Don't you worry, he'll appear in due time. Anyway, hope this chapter is enjoyable.**_

**_One last thing. I know I'm a few days early, but have a Happy New Year! Thanks for reading!_**


	7. Ch 04: The Prohibited Zone

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

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**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 04: The Prohibited Zone**

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_--Zone 21 Fact File--_

_Located in the New York System, Zone 21 is a restricted area owned by the Liberty Navy. Any un-authorized ships attempting to enter the sector are to be shot on sight. The field itself is a large and nearly impenetrable mine field guarding at its heart the only jump gate to the Alaska System, home of the Liberty Navy's top secret Juneau Shipyard and most of its research and development._

* * *

**Landing Pad, Planet California Minor, Sector 6E, California System**

"How is it, Mu?" Tolle asked as Mu tried futilely to contact Juni, "Can you contact them?"

Mu shook his head, "This is bad. I'm pretty sure I had that kid's signal just a few moments ago, and Juni's not replying any of my calls. Just what the heck is happening?"

"Maybe they're being attacked?" the thought of losing Kira was tormenting Tolle, "Didn't Jun'ko Zane sound strange when she contacted just now?"

"Come on, I have a bad feeling about this," Mu climbed into the cockpit and offered his hand to Cagalli.

"Where are we going?" Tolle asked.

"I'm meeting with a friend of mine. He's a captain of a Navy battleship who also happens to be a good friend of Juni. I'm sure he will help. Besides, my Moebius Zero is in his ship at the moment."

"Fine," Tolle walked towards the cockpit of Mu's Patriot fighter, but was stopped from doing so, "What's the problem?"

"There isn't enough space in the cockpit for the three of us. I'm afraid you have to bear with the ship's cargo hold for the moment," Mu said apologetically.

"What? Again?"

**Tahoe Ice Cloud, Sector 6E, California System**

Juni could feel tears beginning to form at her eyes as the Starflier was brutally cut in half, the destroyed ship reduced to scrap by an explosion seconds later. In the few days she had known him, Juni had taken a liking for Kira. Polite and well mannered, Kira was one of the few people Juni had ever taken herself to trust. Mu was one of the other few Juni trusted, though he was probably ranked last among those that made it into her list. She was just about to break down when her sensors picked up something familiar.

"Oh my goodness, he's alive?" Juni could not contain her joy as she quickly tractor in Kira's life pod before the Blitz could react in any way. The joy was short-lived, however, as the Blitz turned its attention to Juni's Patriot fighter. Juni froze as the probability of her surviving a fight against the Blitz was next to zero.

"Lieutenant Zane, this shall be my last warning. Hand over the life pod and I will spare your life," Nicol ordered as he inched closer towards Juni, his beam saber still activated.

"That voice, a Rheinlander," Juni recognized the German accent straight away, "But he sounds like a child. Just what is happening? Is Rheinland involved?"

Nicol saw no response and pointed the beam saber at Juni's ship, "This shall be my last warning. Hand over the life pod and I shall spare your life!"

"What is your purpose for attacking us?" Juni tried to delay time, "Who do you work for? Is this the doing of Rheinland? Is this a declaration of war?"

"I'm the one in charge here!" Nicol fired a warning shot to show that he was serious.

"I'm not handing him over," Juni replied as she activated her cruise engines.

"Stop right there! Do you want to die?" Nicol immediately gave chase.

_As expected. The pilot's pretty soft. If I were him, I would have fired already._ Juni made a run for Willard Station as she tried to shake off Nicol, but her efforts were useless. Within seconds, the Blitz had overtaken her and blocked her path.

"There will not be a second chance! Hand over the life pod now!" Nicol demanded.

"No way!" Juni replied defiantly. She had no idea what was the cause for her courage, but something within her refused to give Kira up.

"You leave me with no choice," Nicol readied himself as he prepared to attack. Juni closed her eyes in prayer as she braced herself for a fiery end, but nothing happened. Surprised, she opened her eyes to see a swarm of friendly contacts on the radar.

"To unknown mobile suit, this is Captain Marcus Walker of the Liberty Navy. I order you to stand down now!"

The sudden interference was far from what he had expected. "What? When did they arrive? Have I taken too much time?" Nicol cursed his luck as scores of heavy fighters approached. More than a dozen Defender Heavy Fighters were within firing range before he knew it, with probably more still yet to arrive.

Nicol, however, was in no mood to give up. _Numbers will do you no help! _He was about to engage his enemies when a transmission was received. Rau Le Creuset showed up on the screen.

"Return back to the Vesalius immediately, Nicol. You will have a lot to explain when you get back."

"But Commander Creuset, I can take them on," Nicol protested softly.

"That's not the issue. You have attracted too much attention. It's a good thing I have a back up plan. My operatives will finish what you couldn't accomplish. As I had expected, you're too soft for my taste."

"Understood, Commander Creuset," falling back, Nicol used the Blitz's speed to weave pass the rain of bullets and shots that were aimed at him. The Liberty pilots watched in disbelief as the Blitz broke through their siege of fire and cloaked itself. Both human eyes and sophisticated sensory lost sight of the mobile suit as it vanished like it was never there to begin with.

"Juni!" Mu rushed towards Juni as his distinctive orange colored Moebius Zero emerged from the crowd of Defenders, "Are you alright?"

"Barely," Juni replied, panting, "The same cannot be said of Kira. He's in my cargo hold now. I'm not sure if he's alright or not."

"I'm sure that kid is alright. C'mon, dock with Walker's ship," Mu was more relieved than ever to hear that Juni was fine. He had feared the worst when he lost Kira's signal.

Juni, on the other hand, was surprised at the sight of the Nelson-class battleship in front of her, "Walker, it's really you!"

"Who else did you expect?" the warm smile of Marcus Walker on the screen was a welcome change from the near death experience Juni just went through. Walker was just as glad to see Juni. The last time he met her was years ago; when Juni and Mu were still young recruits in the Liberty Navy. The news that Juni was in trouble had startled him greatly.

Mu smiled as the Moebius Zero escorted Juni to Walker's ship, "USS Endymion. Sure brings back the memories, huh?" Unfortunately, Mu's reminiscence of the good old days was halted by the appearance of three new contacts on the long range sensors, "What the…"

"Hold on, Mu. They're green," Walker said as the three bleeps in the radar turned out to be Liberty ships – Defenders to be exact.

"To incoming Liberty ships. This is Captain Marcus Walker of the _USS Endymion_ of the 3rd Fleet. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Good day, Captain. This is Lieutenant Jack Thermon of LSF Special Command. I'm under direct orders of the High Command to bring Lieutenant Jun'ko Zane back to New York for immediate questioning. The extra baggage in her ship's cargo hold is to come along as well. He is a prime suspect regarding the destruction of Freeport 7."

Mu never thought he would hear something as absurd as that, "Immediate questioning? Just what did Juni do? For what reason are you people bringing her back?"

"Apologies, Lieutenant La Flaga. This is a classified LSF operation. We will be in direct violation of the Liberty Code if we reveal any more than what was just spoken."

"Who are you trying to joke, soldier?" Mu was about to flare up any moment.

"Stop it, Mu," Walker tried to defuse the tense atmosphere.

"But Walker, how can they…"

"Calm down. You'll only worsen the situation!" Walker raised his voice to get his point across, "Let them take her for now. Whoever they are, the High Command is bounded by Liberty Code to uphold the law. There's nothing they can do if Juni is innocent of any wrongdoing."

"You don't get it, Walker. Juni has been trying to tell me something," Mu argued.

"We'll talk about that later. We will comply with them for now. Don't worry, I have my connections too. I'll make sure Juni is unharmed," Walker assured a worried Mu before making a transmission to Juni.

"Juni, just follow them for now. You'll be fine, I assure you."

"Got it," Juni wasn't so sure, but she turned back anyway. If Walker said she would be alright, she would be.

"Please follow us, Lieutenant Zane," Jack Thermon ordered as his wing turned back and headed for the jump gate to the New York System.

"Where are we going?" Juni asked.

"We'll going to Zone 21, Jun'ko Zane."

**Liberty Navy Battleship **_**USS Endymion,**_** Sector 6E, California System**

A loud rattling noise filled the pilots' changing room as Mu punched the metal door of the locker in frustration. Nearby, Walker watched in silence as Mu threatened to tear the whole place apart. It was a good thing that the interior of the ship was mostly metal - dull, but durable.

"Mu!" Hurried footsteps were heard as Tolle burst into the room, panting heavily by the time he got in. Cagalli followed shortly, similarly out of breath. Tolle walked up to Mu and grabbed him by his flight suit.

"Where's Kira? Where is he?"

"He's being taken along with Juni," Mu answered, downfallen.

"Just what did Kira do? Why was he taken? For what? For being attacked by an unknown maniac? What the heck is Liberty thinking?" Tolle pushed Mu back, resulting in a loud clash as Mu slammed into the lockers.

"Hey, Tolle!" Cagalli tried to intervene, but was promptly held back by Walker.

"Allow me," Walker walked up and pulled Tolle away from Mu, "Stop it, young man! It's no use making a fuss over something that has already happened."

"What do mean by that?" Tolle swiped Walker's hands away in anger, "Kira's my best friend, in case you are wondering!"

"And in case you are wondering, civilian, you're in a Liberty battleship! I would appreciate if you show some restraint here!" Walker lectured in a firm voice. Not knowing how to respond, Tolle backed off and calmed down a little. Mu, on the other hand, remained on the ground.

Walker waited for the tense situation to reside before giving out his instructions, "I'll like the three of you to tell me everything. If there is anything I can do to help Juni and the young man who was taken with her, I'll need as much information as possible. Mu, you will start first."

Mu picked himself up and settled himself on a couch. Making sure that nobody else was in the room, Mu began.

"There's a major stirrup in the LSF hierarchy, and it's far from pretty."

Walker's eyes narrowed as he listened. He had been hearing rumors of similar type for the past few days. What just came out of Mu's mouth only seemed to confirm those rumors, "Go on, Mu."

"Approximately two hours ago, Juni contacted me after completing a mission. Having confirmed that a mole was working from within the LSF, Juni wanted to make a report to our Commanding Officer. It was then she found out that he was actually placed under arrest for treason. She tried contacting her friends in the higher ups, but most of them were either arrested or missing. I happened to be the only one she was able to contact. It seems quite a number of important LSF officers have gone missing for no reason."

"How many?" Walker asked.

Mu nodded and continued, "After Juni told me about this, I did my own investigation. It turned out that almost the entire LSF command has been removed overnight. And here's the catch. Some of them had their records erased completely. It was like they never existed in the first place. People don't just go missing like this, Walker. In addition, the entire LSF Command has been replaced by people I have never heard of in my entire time in service. They just somehow appear out of nowhere and assume command of the LSF. Tell me, Walker. Does everything sound suspicious to you?"

"It can't be. How can such a thing happen?" Cagalli mumbled as Mu explained. _Looks like there's not much time left._

"All these do not make sense. How can such a drastic change take place overnight?" Walker was getting an ominous feeling.

"That's why I refused to hand Juni over to those guys. I suspect there's a hidden hand working in Liberty, and I'm sure it's not confined to just the LSF. Juni might have been one of their targets all along, especially since she was the one who discovered the existence of that mole. Something is happening, Walker, and I don't like it," Mu added.

"What about Kira? He's not involved in any of these, right?" Tolle demanded.

"He was involved in the mission, remember?" Mu replied, "The enemy probably wants to get rid of all evidences."

Tolle slumped back in despair as the possibility of losing his best friend grew larger. He then remembered something, "I think there might be another reason behind all these."

"Another reason?" Mu widened his eyes in surprise.

"That's why we actually came to meet Juni."

"Quick, what is it about?" Mu asked anxiously. But before Tolle could go on, one of Walker's subordinates requested for him.

"What is it," Walker asked the soldier.

"Captain. Navy Command has ordered the _USS Endymion_ to head back to New York for a system check. They said some irregularities have been found in our ship records," the soldier answered.

Walker nodded his head in acknowledgement, "You may leave now." The soldier saluted and left.

"What's wrong?" Mu noticed that Walker looked puzzled.

"We just had a complete check just a few weeks ago," Walker replied, "Why would we be called back for checks so quickly? I don't remember having any problems during these few weeks. Something is very wrong here."

"I don't like the sound of it, Walker," Mu said.

Walker seemed to agree, "I feel the same way, Mu. However, orders are orders. I must follow them as a soldier."

"You can't be serious!" Cagalli spoke up suddenly, "You'll get killed if you return! Isn't it obvious now? That someone is pulling the strings from behind regarding all that has happened so far?"

Walker was surprised at Cagalli's outburst, but he chose to ignore it. There were better things to worry about, "Whatever it is, I have to obey orders. I'll just take one step at a time. Mu, I'll have you and your two friends disembark straight away. I want the three of you to stay low in California Minor for the time being. Try not to do anything spectacular and wait for me to contact you, okay?"

"No, I'm going with you. There's no telling what will happen if you go alone. I can at least help you if I tag along," Mu refused.

Walker, however, was not giving way, "I won't allow that. The three of you will disembark now. This is an order. Do not make a move unless I give the go ahead, understand?"

Mu saw that it was no use trying to argue with Walker, "Understood. C'mon, we've got to get out of here."

Walker turned to Tolle and Cagalli, "I normally don't do such things, but given the grave situation we're in, I have decided to loan a pair of fighters to the both of you. They're no the best, but I believe these Patriot Light Fighters should be enough for now."

"That'll do, Mr. Walker," Tolle promptly expressed his gratitude, "We'll definitely return them in one piece."

"I hold your word for that, Tolle," Walker stretched his arm and offered a handshake which Tolle accepted.

"C'mon, we've got little time to waste!" Mu shouted as he put on his helmet and rushed to his Moebius Zero.

**Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"Where are we, Juni?"

"Juneau Shipyard, Alaska System."

Kira got up and scanned the surroundings. Along with Juni, he was being locked up in a cell with sides of equal length. The hard and cold metallic floor was grayish in color, whilst the walls were painted white. Lighting up the tiny cell were six fluorescent lamps - two in the middle and one at each corner of the ceiling; a bit too excessive in Kira's opinion. Tiny, half-sphere shaped devices were located at each corner of the room as well. It was pretty obvious they were surveillance cameras. Once again, they seemed too excessive for Kira's liking. No one would feel comfortable under such tight surveillance.

"Strange, I've never heard of an Alaska System before," Kira rubbed his throbbing head as he leaned against one of the four corners. Juni sat at the opposite corner.

"Same goes for me. Until today, that is. Apparently, it can only be accessed by a hidden jump gate located in Zone 21," Juni rested her head against the wall and covered her eyes with her hands. The glare of the six fluorescent lamps was too much for her weary eyes.

"What's Zone 21?" Kira asked.

"It's a restricted area owned by the Liberty Navy. Access to Zone 21 is purely by a case-by-case basis. Trespassers will be shot on sight."

"What happened back then? Where did that mobile suit go?" Kira asked again.

"After I tractor in your life pod, Walker and his ship arrived. That mobile suit retreated soon after. Then just as I though we were safe, three Liberty fighters arrived and had me arrested for treason. You, by the way, are a prime suspect in the destruction of Freeport 7."

As Juni expected, Kira got a big shock of his life when he heard that he was considered a prime suspect, "I almost died out there! How can I be responsible for such a mindless act of destruction?"

Juni somehow managed to squeeze out a chuckle, "And I'm arrested for treason. After all my years of service, this is what I get."

Kira ruffled his hair in frustration, "Remember our conversation before that attack?"

Juni opened her eyes are looked at him, "What about it?"

Kira let out a deep sigh, "Given our situation, it's probably of no use to tell you now. But I'll say anyway. Do you remember when we first met? I told you about this friend of mine who is in medical, right?"

Juni nodded her head.

"That friend is Yuna Roma Seiran, the same guy who was supposed to be the infamous leader of The Order. I met him on Freeport 7 and was supposed to sign a million credit deal with him when the station was attacked. We subsequently ended up in Manhattan for some reason and he was taken to medical due to a head injury. I stayed in Manhattan hoping that he would recover and pay us the million credits."

"And? Did you get your million credits?" Juni asked.

Kira grimaced at Juni's question as the thought of the million credits slipping out of his hands was too much to bear, "I never got it in the end." He went on to explain everything to Juni, recounting every bit of when Yuna shockingly appeared to Kira on Manhattan. All of the words that came out of Yuna's mouth were relayed to Juni; not one detail was missed. Juni listened intently as Kira spoke.

"It can't be," Juni exclaimed after Kira told her everything, "Why would Liberty want to hunt down all Freeport 7 survivors? It can't be possible; there's no reason to do such a thing."

"That's why I wanted to confirm with you, Juni. I did not want to believe that Yuna was speaking the truth. They sounded too absurd to me as well, until that news, that is," Kira added.

"You mean the want about him being the leader of The Order, right?" Juni asked.

Kira looked away in disgust, "And he was killed by your people straight away. As you said, whoever he was, he's dead. The dead can't speak, right?"

Juni felt a little guilty at what she had said back then, "Hey, I'm sorry about that, okay? I did not expect things to turn out this way. Anyway, after listening to your story, I'm certain there is something malicious going on in Liberty. The arrest of the both of us is proof of that."

Kira agreed on that, but he frowned immediately after that, "Juni, just who the heck attacked us back then? And that mobile suit, it's certainly not a GINN. That thing looks way more advanced."

"I'm not sure if Rheinland is directly involved in that attack or not," Juni replied, "But one thing is for sure, that pilot is a Rheinlander. His accent was a dead give away."

"But what has Rheinland got to do with all these? They aren't at war with Liberty, are they?" Kira asked.

Juni shook her head, "Nope. Besides, we can't be sure if that mobile suit belonged to Rheinland. Sure, the pilot was almost certainly a Rheinlander, but Rheinlanders aren't just confined to serving the Rheinland Military. They can always flock to other Houses or join one of the many radical groups that unfortunately exist in the Sirius Sector."

The room remained silent for another minute before Kira spoke again, "Mind if I ask one more question, Juni?"

"Go ahead."

Kia fidgeted for a second, "Have you ever had some sort of adrenaline rush in a fight? Like when faced with lots of enemies, you suddenly get excited and do things you never thought was possible?"

Juni was puzzled by Kira's question, "What are you talking about, Kira? Of course I do. You can't expect me to stay relaxed during a fight, do you?"

"No, that's not what I mean," Kira sat up and looked straight into Juni's eyes, "How should I say it? It's like… do you…?" For a moment, Kira looked like he was about to suffer a mental breakdown any time soon. Juni even thought she saw tears forming in his eyes, but she told herself it was her own imagination.

"Whoa… slow down, Kira. You not acting yourself," Juni tried to calm him down.

"Ever since the Freeport 7 incident, I have felt it three times."

Juni was getting more confused, "What did you feel? When was the 'three times' you mentioned?"

Kira took a few minutes of calm himself down, making sure his breathing got back to normal, "The first time was the mission I had with Mu. The second was when I first met Cagalli. The third was when we were attacked by that unknown mobile suit. I felt like a totally different person in all those occasions."

"How different was it?"

"I did things I never excelled at. I was able to fight against the rogues like a seasoned pilot. I was able to move the ship like it was an extension of my own body. And I was able to handle Cagalli like a pro back then. All those actions were things I had never dreamed of doing all my life!" Kira replied.

_Handle Cagalli? Just what did you do to her, Kira?_

The brunet continued, "Worst of all, I actually felt an inrush of memories during all three of those incidents, like I had a second life or some kind of a split personality of some sort. In fact, I felt like I was enjoying myself when I was fighting against the Rogues during the mission with Mu. How are such things possible? I have never dared to physically confront anybody in my entire life. Even when we were in the Border Worlds, Tolle was always the one taking charge if the situations turned ugly. I have always been the 'weaker' one; Athrun and Tolle would always be the ones protecting me."

"Athrun?" it could be called a habit due to the nature of her job, but Juni was definitely quick to spot the unfamiliar name that came out from Kira's last statement, "Who is Athrun? Another of your friends back at Leeds?"

Kira looked at Juni as if she just said something out of the world, "What are you saying, Juni? Who is Athrun? Someone you know?"

Juni blinked her eyes in surprise, "Kira, you were the one who said that Athrun and Tolle were always protecting you. You are the one who know who Athrun is, not me."

"No I didn't. I don't even know who Athrun is."

"Yes you did," Juni was scowling at him, "Don't try to deny it. Spit it out. Who's Athrun? Don't hide anything from me. Every little bit of information might help, even if the situation seems hopeless for now."

"I'm telling the truth! I really don't know who this Athrun Zala is!" Kira leapt up in defense.

"So that guy's surname is Zala?" Juni's veins were about to pop out in total exasperation, "Here you are saying out his surname and you dare say that you don't know who this Athrun is?"

Kira frozed, "You're right. I really did say his name," Kira slumped back against the wall as he felt weak all of a sudden, "I don't know, Juni. I really don't know who he is. Why do I even know the name of someone I have never met before? Just who is this Athrun Zala? Why do I feel like I know him?"

Kira's words were not coherent at all, and Juni was starting to worry for him, "Kira, are you alright? Why are you able to remember the name of someone you don't even know? It doesn't make any sense; for you to not know somebody and yet recite his name."

"That's what I want to know as well," Kira was in a complete daze, "Just what am I saying?"

"Kira…" Juni had no idea on what to do until something clicked in her mind, "Kira, did you just say Athrun Zala? Isn't the current Defense Committee Chairman of Rheinland someone by the name of Patrick Zala? Could it be possible that…" a dull thud interrupted Juni, "… hey, Kira! What's wrong with you?"

"Argh! My head! It hurts!" Before Juni knew it, Kira was on the ground holding his head in pain. He was in so much pain that his entire body was curled up, and his fingers were clutching his head so tightly that it was starting to bleed.

"Kira! What's wrong with you? Don't scare me! Guards! Somebody help!"

**Liberty Navy Battleship **_**USS Endymion,**_** Sector 6E, California System**

"Tolle, did something happen to you?" Cagalli was halfway up the ladder into her ship's cockpit when Tolle fell off his.

Mu stuck his head out as he heard a loud crash, "Whoa, be careful out there, kid! Hey, are you hurt?"

"Hey, old man! He's not looking very good," Cagalli's voice was shaking as she tried to calm a trembling Tolle down. Mu jumped out of the cockpit straight away.

"Hey, kid! Did you break your leg or something? Where are you hurting?" Mu initially thought Tolle had hurt himself after falling down, "Did you hit your head?" he asked when Tolle grabbed his temples.

"He doesn't look good, old man," Cagalli said as Tolle seemed to be suffering from more than a hurt head.

"I can see that!" Mu replied, "And stop calling me an old man!"

"Hurts… it hurts… my head…" Tolle stammered as he wriggled in pain.

"Damn! Cagalli, inform the infirmary! Tell them we've got a serious case here!" Mu ordered as he lifted Tolle up and made a dash out of the hanger, "Why must this happen now? Hang in there, Tolle!"

**Planet California Minor, Sector 6E, California System**

"Smoking is bad for health, you know."

"Hmm…"

"What's wrong? Did you sense something?"

"The implants are probably losing their effect by now. I'm pretty sure the two of them are under immense pressure due to that. Poor things"

"Really? Looks like they can't escape their fate after all. By the way, I'm impressed that you can actually sense both of them from here."

"Nope, I can only sense one of them, and only if he's near me. The implants they were given weren't perfect; their effects would go away in approximately two years time. I just estimated that the effects will wear off around this time. And since they received the implants at the same time, I'm predicting that they will feel it at the same time. They might be hugging each other in pain, for all you know."

"Sheesh… so you were just guessing? Idiot…"

"Hmm… that Tobias will definitely shoot himself in the head for not listening to me back then."

"I think he will shoot you first."

"Really? Oh well…"

_**End of Chapter 04**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine**_

* * *

_**Just what is happening to Kira and Tolle? Why are they in such tremendous pain at the same time? Also, is Athrun Zala actually related to Kira? How can Kira know his name despite claiming not to know him?**_

_**Well, this chapter is mostly talk. I did, however, reveal a couple of things. I do hope I have written this chapter well. Do let me know about it, okay? If all goes according to plan, Kira should get his hands on the Strike by the next chapter. I'll probably try to reveal the five G-weapons by the next chapter as well (Strike, Aegis, Duel, Buster & Blitz if you're wondering).**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	8. Ch 05: Its Name is Gundam

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

* * *

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 05: Its Name is Gundam**

* * *

_--Liberty Rogues Fact File--_

_The Rogues are a product of over two centuries of systematic lower-class cleansing that occurred on the Liberty planets of Manhattan, Denver, and Los Angeles. The Rogues are generally a disorganized lot. They are responsible for most of the Trade Lane attacks in Liberty space and the adjacent Independent Worlds, usually operating in groups of only two or three ships, without much grasp of advanced tactics. They also provide shelter for the Outcasts in exchange for Cardamine. The primary Rogue base is Buffalo, deep within the confines of the Badlands of New York System._

* * *

**Liberty Navy Battleship **_**USS Endymion,**_** New York System**

For as long as he could remember, Tolle was in a harsh desert like environment. He could feel beads of perspiration trickling down his face; dirt was smeared all over his body, his hand and feet covered with all kinds of blisters and wounds. Ahead of him, he could make out several silhouettes running from him. Behind him, he could make out the tired sound of running footsteps. A loud thud was heard as someone fell beside him. _A girl?_ Tolle was in a complete daze as a girl, roughly the same age as him, collapsed a few meters to his right, her messy red hair falling over her face.

Then he heard a loud voice coming from beyond the huge boulder to his left, "Pick your sorry asses off the ground and keep running, you worthless pieces of shit!" it said. Another voice came, this time from in front of him, "Come on, we have to meet the timing. Don't give up!" Tolle jolted as he heard the voice – it belonged to Kira. _What's Kira doing here? Whatever, I have to catch up to him._ Tolle used his battered hands to push himself off the dusty ground, but all he got in response was a sharp, excruciating pain from his wrist all the way up to his elbows. Gravity proved to be stronger as his chin met the ground with full force, his weakened arms proving to be useless in breaking the fall.

That was it. His arms were beginning to feel numb from the pain. Blood gushed out from his chin - it just had to land straight on the sharp edge of a tiny piece of stone. His legs? He felt like ten tonnes of bricks were sitting comfortably on them. Tolle grimaced as a sudden rush of blood flowed into his head, the throbbing pain too much to bear. Drowsiness set in and his eyes started to close.

_Damn it. Who switched off the lights?_

"How is he?"

The drowsiness started to magically fade away and his eyes started to open. Tolle shut his eyes as soon as he opened them as the blinding light welcomed him. Slowly, he opened his eyes little by little again, careful not to let the glare of the shining light get to him.

_Where am I? _Too weak to move his body, Tolle could only tilt his head sideways. The unpleasant pain in his head was still bothering him, but it seemed better than before. He surveyed the unfamiliar environment for a good thirty seconds. It wasn't that desert he was previously in. Gone were the dust and rocks that were littered all over the place only seconds ago. Instead, he was in a small but neat room with not one speck of dust. The unmistakable smell of medicine filled the air. With some amount of effort, Tolle lifted his left arm enough for his eyes to catch sight of it. Gone were the blisters and wounds that had made their home there only a few moments ago. His body felt weak, but the pain that was previously there was gone, save for the constant throbbing in his head. _So everything was just a dream? _

A familiar voice was heard, "How is he doing?" It wasn't that rough tone he heard in that desert, nor was it the reassuring voice of Kira. Tolle thought for a minute and realized it belonged to Walker. He was still in the _Endymion_.

With some amount of force, Tolle felt a sudden jerk on his body. _Damn, it has to be you, Cagalli. Stop shaking me; my head hurts!_

"Tolle, you're awake! Hey, doctor, he's awake!" Cagalli screamed for the doctor when she saw Tolle opened his eyes. Mu scratched his head in embarrassment.

"I would like to remind you to lower your volume, young lady," the doctor said as she came to Tolle's side. After checking on Tolle, the doctor sat down on a chair and nodded to Walker, "Mr. Koenig, would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Mu looked at the doctor disapprovingly, "Can't you do it later? The kid needs to rest."

"I would love to, Mu. But time forbids that. I have to rendezvous near Newark Station in five hours time, and I would like the three of you off my ship by then. I need to have a few things clarified fast. I may not be a doctor, but I believe the following questions will do good to improve Tolle's current condition," Walker said as he walked up to Tolle's bed as well. Despite his objections, Mu conceded. Walker must have his reasons for doing so.

The doctor looked at Walker for permission, and proceeded as she was given the green light, "Good day to you, Mr. Koenig. I am Dr. Kendra Sinclair, I'm in charged of the infirmary on this ship."

Tolle looked up and saw a tanned lady in her late twenties staring straight at him, "Hello."

After confirming that Tolle was no longer in too much of a dazzled state, she held up a clipboard and took out a pen from her coat's front pocket. Leaning back against the chair, she fired her first question, "So, where do you come from?"

"Leeds."

Sinclair produced a killer glare and that was all the hint Tolle needed. He immediately provided more details.

"I come from Bretonia. I live in Planet Leeds, in the Farnley District where I live with my foster father and Kira. We moved there two years ago when Tobias relocated his ship repair shop there."

Sinclair scribbled on the clipboard as Tolle answered, "Where were you before two years ago?"

"Chapeltown District, at the other side of the planet."

Sinclair nodded, "Did you have any known medical problems?"

Tolle blinked, "Nope. Fit as a fiddle. Tobias once said that my head was harder than a diamond."

"Can you recall your childhood?" Sinclair asked again, but with a more serious tone than before.

Tolle gave her a blank stare, "What kind of a question is that, doctor? What has my childhood got to do with you? All I know is that I have been repairing ships in that stinky shop of Tobias."

"How about before your foster father relocated to the Farnley District? Any memory of what happened before that? Like why you guys actually moved? And that friend of yours, Kira, how did you meet him?"

Rolling his eyes in frustration, Tolle obviously felt that Sinclair's questions were useless to helping his condition, "I don't remember that much. You can't expect me to remember every detail of my life, do you?"

Sinclair continued to scribble on the clipboard, her face showing little expression, "As a matter of fact, I expect you to. My medical examination shows something about you that seems a little off. After repeated scans on your brain, I realized that the readings are inconsistent. It is as if something is interfering with your memory in such a way that a large portion of it is missing. But at the same time, there seems to be something that has replaced that missing portion. I checked numerous times to see if you are suffering from amnesia, but apart from the fact that you can't remember your childhood, all evidence points that you are not suffering from it."

Tolle turned his head back to face Sinclair, his mouth wide open, "Fine… and?"

Sinclair placed the clipboard on her lap and continued with a low voice, "The questions I asked before have proven that your memory of yourself is only clear for the last two years. Whatever events you experienced before that is extremely vague. For someone who isn't suffering from amnesia or any sort of organic or functional memory loss, such a symptom should not be happening. Yet, the truth is that you can't remember a thing about your past, except for the fact that you came from the Chapeltown District before moving to the Farnley District on Planet Leeds. After looking at my own research materials, I conclude that you have received some sort of a memory implant."

Tolle's eyes widened in complete surprise, "A memory what?"

"A memory implant. It is some sort of an artificial memory placed in your brain. It overrides whatever you knew beforehand and imports a new one that seems so real that even you can't tell apart," Sinclair gamely explained to her puzzled patient, "I must admit, though. I have never seen such a technology before."

"This can't be true, right?" Tolle stared at Sinclair, blank faced, "Did I just hear gibberish?" he turned to Cagalli who chose to remain silent.

Sinclair sighed, "Looks like merely explaining to you isn't going to help much. It will be better if I show you an example. Excluding that Tobias and Kira, how many of the people you know are met before you moved to the Farnley District two years ago?"

"Well," Tolle scratched his head in confusion; he still couldn't understand a thing, "None, actually."

"See what I mean? How can you know only two people for the first seventeen years of your life? You can't be that unpopular, can you?" Sinclair was convinced that she had proven her point.

Tolle, on the other hand, was seething from her comments, "Hey! I just can't remember that's all! I'm not unpopular!"

Mu shook his head embarrassedly. _That's not the point, kid._

Sinclair brushed off her patient's comments, "Don't you find it strange, Mr. Koenig? It seems that the first seventeen years of your life is a complete mystery. You can't even recall a single detail."

Tolle kept quiet as he tried to absorb whatever Sinclair had just said. What she had just spoken certainly sounded logical. A sense of worry struck him as Tolle realized that he might not be who he thought he was.

"Oh, one more thing, Mr. Koenig. I have run several tests on your body to confirm it. It seems that your body is different from that of a normal human being," Sinclair added.

"What do you mean?" Tolle asked, a sensation of fear griping him.

"It seems," Sinclair explained, "that your body is stronger than an average human."

"As I said, my head is harder than a diamond. I have always been very fit," Tolle was relieved that what Sinclair said wasn't as bad as she made it out to be. Being fit was something he did not mind.

Sinclair frowned, "I did not mean that. What I meant was that your body seemed to have been genetically modified. Every aspect of your body is like an improved version of a normal person. You are faster, stronger, less prone to diseases, more aware of your surroundings, and to a certain degree, smarter."

Tolle gave her a smug face, "Of course, doctor. Tobias always marveled at how fast I could learn from him. It took me less than a week to master the ship maintenance techniques that took Tobias years to learn. I just did not have the chance to attend a formal school, that's all. Come to think of it, Kira mastered it within a day."

Mu shook his head again and muttered to himself, "That kid obviously missed out the 'genetically modified' part."

"See, you're not that smart. There's someone better than you," not very fond of him, Sinclair could not help but take a dig at Tolle.

"What did you say?" Tolle growled.

Sinclair tapped her clipboard on Tolle's head lightly, bringing him back to his senses, "Didn't you hear what I said? Your body has been genetically modified, Mr. Koenig. GE… NE… TI… CA… LLY… MO…DI…FIED."

It was then that he noticed. Tolle stared at her in shock, "Err… you can't be serious about that, right?"

"Look at me, young man. Do I look like I'm joking to you?" Sinclair was close to smacking Tolle with her clipboard, "I don't know if your genetically different body is a result of artificial methods or natural evolution. What is sure though, is that your body is different from the average human being."

"This can't be true, right?" Tolle wasn't enjoying what was going into his ears, "Will I die?"

"Relax, your life is not in danger. But I suggest you see Professor Quintaine, a scientist specializing in genetics. He's sort of like a mentor to me. I met him when I was still a medical student in Cambridge. I believe it will be beneficial for you to pay him a little visit," Sinclair suggested.

"Where do we find this Quintane?" Mu asked.

"I'm not sure myself. He seems to have 'disappeared' about two years ago. I haven't heard from him since then, but I think I can still find him if I try," Sinclair went back to her desk and started to search for something.

"Oh, that's just great," Tolle was surprisingly able to sit upright by now. Cagalli gaped at his incredible recovery rate.

"Well, whatever it is, the three of you will have to get off this ship. I'll leave them in your hands, Mu," the time for the _Endymion_ to rendezvous at Newark was drawing near and Walker wanted Tolle and Cagalli to land at a safe location, "Just wait for instructions on Manhattan, Mu. I'll contact you once I'm done with it."

Mu nodded and turned to Tolle and Cagalli, "Come on, kids. We're launching."

**Detention Cell, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"Kira, are you alright?"

Kira slowly opened his eyes, his head still suffering from pain. Using his hands to shield his eyes from the glare of the ever impressive fluorescent lamps lighting up the tiny cell, he looked at Juni with a dazed expression. Kira managed to pick himself up and leaned against the wall with some amount of effort and a little help by Juni.

"What happened just now, Juni?"

Juni sat beside Kira, leaning against the wall like he did, "All I can say is that you were screaming your head off an hour ago and fainted. I tried calling for help but no one came. The only thing I could do was to pray that you would recover, and you did. Just what was that, Kira? You scared the hell out of me."

His head still hurting, Kira let out a soft groan as he rubbed them with his weakened arms, "I'm not sure myself. It was extremely painful back then. I have never encountered such a pain before. The next thing I know, I woke up with this niggling pain in my head."

"Whatever that is, I'm just glad you're alright," Juni hugged her knees and rested her head on them, "The only thing we can do for now is to wait and see what happens. I'm taking a short nap. You should take one as well."

Kira nodded, "Guess you're right."

**Command Centre, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Are the trainees here?"

"They have just disembarked from the shuttle, Captain," Natarle Badgiruel replied.

"Excellent, inform them to meet me here," the Captain ordered as he returned to a conversation he was having with a few other officers earlier. An alarm sounded before he could do so, however.

"Captain, long range sensors have picked up two unknown signals. They are confirmed to be Rheinland vessels. One Nazca class and one Laurasia class are approaching from the jump gate!" the radar crew shouted.

The Liberty Captain could not believe what he had just heard, "Rheinland vessels? How can they even enter the Alaska System? They shouldn't have any knowledge of Alaska! Quick, activate base defenses! Natarle, inform Lieutenant Ramius to transfer the remaining G-Weapons into the_ Archangel _now!"

"Yes sir!" Natarle wasted no time as she ran out of the room. She had to reach her as soon as possible.

The radar crew gave another piece of bad news, "Captain, our sensors have picked up the heat signatures of three GINNs! They will be within firing range very soon!"

"Send out our fighter wings! We cannot afford to lose the remaining three G-Weapons!" just as the order was given, a huge explosion rocked the entire shipyard. Numerous bombs planted in secret by a Rheinland task force went off simultaneously in various locations, setting up a chain of destruction. The command centre was among those that bore the brunt of the attack.

"An explosion from the inside? Impossible, how did the enemy manage to plant bombs within the shipyard without anyone noticing?" Natarle watched in horror as the command centre was blown to bits. The resulting impact caused her to fall backwards and hit the wall. Natarle let out a scream before losing consciousness.

**Hanger Two, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"What was that?" Murrue Ramius stopped her work as the entire shipyard was rocked hard by multiple explosions.

"Lieutenant Ramius, we're under attack by Rheinland Forces!"

Murrue knew she had to act quickly, "Transfer the G-Weapons to the _Archangel _quickly! There is no time to waste!"

"The path to the _Archangel _is blocked!" one of the crewman shouted as the explosion sent numerous debris falling onto the only path to the_ Archangel_.

Murrue was about to issue her next order when she heard the unwelcome sound of gunfire. The cries of her men were heard as they were easily taken down by Rheinland commandos who had stormed the shipyard. How they got in was a mystery, but Murrue knew there was no time to think about it. She grabbed the nearest rifle and took a few clips of ammunition. Ordering the remaining men to form up on her, Murrue prepared to defend the G-Weapons with all she got. Murrue ran and hid behind a pillar, sticking her rifle out occasionally to take pot shots at the enemies.

"Hold your ground!" Murrue tried to raise the morale of her subordinates, "We will definitely defeat the intruders!"

**Detention Cell, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Kira, can you run?" Juni asked as she tried to open the door of the cell. The previous explosion had shut down the power in the sector the cell was located. The magnetic lock holding the door in place was deactivated and Juni was able to open it with ease.

"Come on, let's find a way out," Kira sprung to his feet and ran out of the cell.

"Are you alright?" Juni asked in concern, "You looked in pretty bad shape just a few minutes ago."

"Don't worry, I recover fast," Kira assured her. Juni nodded and chose to trust him. She did not have much of a choice either. With the shipyard under attack, they had to find a way out before the entire structure collapsed. Running through the almost identical corridors, the both of them were having a hard time navigating their way out. The earlier explosion had effectively blocked most of the corridors off and they were having a hard time trying to find an escape path.

"Over there!" Kira pulled Juni along as he spotted an opening up ahead.

**Hanger Two, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

It was clearly a gruesome sight as dead bodies could be found in almost any corner of the hanger. The Liberty forces guarding the G-Weapons had suffered heavy losses compared to the Rheinland task force, which had suffered minimal losses thus far. Murrue was having a hard time fending the intruders off as those with her were mostly technicians. Unlike the enemy, they were not trained in combat and were pretty much ineffective against the well trained intruders. Murrue cried out in anguish as another of her men was shot in the chest right in front of her. Stepping out from the pillar where she was hiding behind, Murrue spotted one of the enemies and took aim. The enemy fell as she sent a few bullets straight through his head.

"Rusty!" Sorrow was turned to anger when Athrun Zala saw his teammate fall slowly to the ground. He gritted his teeth and made a dash for Murrue, determined to avenge his fallen comrade. Another commando approached from behind and took aim at Murrue.

"Watch out! Behind you!"

Murrue turned around and squeezed the trigger. The shot somehow found its target and the commando was taken down. Athrun cursed his luck as a good chance was missed. He knew that taking down Murrue would have a huge effect since she was the one in command there. He backed off as a few of the defending troops fired at him.

Surprised at the unexpected help, Murrue looked up and saw two individuals standing on an elevated platform. It was obvious Juni was an LSF officer from the uniform she was wearing, but Kira was in civilian clothing.

"What are the two of you doing there? Come down quick!" Murrue threw away her rifle and switched to her pistol. She ducked down as another Rheinland commando appeared before taking him down with an accurate shot.

"We're trying to find our way out!" Kira shouted back. Juni felt like shooting him as their position was just being revealed by Kira's loud reply.

Murrue shouted back, "There's no other way out! Come down quick! We need as much assistance as possible!" She immediately went back to fend off the wave of intruders. Running to one of the G-Weapons, Murrue used it as a shield against the onslaught of bullets, "Brian, Hamana, get into the other two G-Weapons! I'll take this one!"

"Not so fast!" Athrun fired at Hamana and killed him, "Yzak, I'll leave that one to you!"

"Don't you dare order me around!" Yzak ejected the empty magazine and clicked a new one in place. He quickly cocked the rifle and stood up. Taking a quick aim, he fired and took down another of the defenders. Clear of any enemy, Yzak ran towards the G-Weapon and climbed into the cockpit. Expertly typing a flurry of commands into the keyboard, Yzak deactivated the machine's self-destruct mechanism and switched on the power, "GAT-X102 Duel, quite impressive. Athrun, I'm returning first! Miguel will be arriving soon to assist in taking the last remaining weapon!"

"Got it!" Athrun saw that Murrue was open and fired, hitting her right arm in the process. Running up towards her, Athrun squeezed the trigger the second time, but he was out of bullets. Fortunately for him, Murrue had run out of ammunition as well. Athrun whipped out a knife and made a dash for Murrue, determined to take the machine and avenge Rusty. He was about to make the finishing blow when a familiar figure jumped ahead of him and helped Murrue up.

"Are you alright?" Kira asked as he jumped from the elevated platform onto where Murrue was. Juni looked in amazement as he was unhurt after jumping from such a height.

Athrun stopped in his tracks when he saw Kira jumped in front of him, "Kira? What are you doing here?" He jumped back as Juni fired at him from the top. Confused at what to do, Athrun jumped off and headed for the last remaining G-Weapon.

Murrue saw what Athrun was doing and jumped into the cockpit of G-Weapon she was on, pushing Kira in as well, "Get behind the seat. I'll have to move this machine somehow."

Kira did as he was instructed and watched as the machine was activated. The screen went online and Kira looked to the left. Likewise, Athrun was powering the machine he was in. Kira stared at the other machine as he found Athrun's face familiar. Then something clicked in his mind. _Athrun? Is that Athrun? Just who is he? Why am I able to remember his name?_

The on board monitor started up as power flowed into the system. Kira remained silent as he watched Murrue type in commands to power the suit.

**G**eneral

**U**nilateral

**N**euro-link

**D**ispersive

**A**utonomic

**M**aneuver

"Gun… dam…" Kira muttered to himself as he saw the start up screen.

Still on the elevated platform, Juni was speechless as two massive machines powered up. No matter how she looked at them, they looked similar to the one that attacked her and Kira in the California System. But before she could even do anything, another mobile suit entered the hanger. Juni looked up and recognized it as Rheinland's GINN. As the hanger was originally used as a docking point for Liberty's Dreadnaught-class capital ships, the three mobile suits were able to move around without much constraints.

"Athrun, what happened to Rusty?" Miguel asked as he landed the GINN, placing himself between Athrun's Aegis and the Strike. The news that Rusty had failed to retrieve one of the G-Weapons was a shock to him.

"Rusty failed. He was killed during the gun fight," Athrun replied, "That mobile suit is being piloted by an officer from the Liberty Navy."

Upon hearing that, Miguel drew the GINN's sword, "Is that so? Then I'll capture that mobile suit myself. You go ahead and return back to the ship, Athrun."

Athrun watched helplessly as Miguel charged at the Strike. _Kira? It can't be. There's no way Kira can be here. He should have died during that mission._ Pushing away the confusion in his mind, Athrun began to alter the OS of the Aegis to better suit himself.

Miguel, on the other hand, was busy trying to take down the Strike. Murrue managed to power the Strike's thrusters and dodged Miguel's attack, but her movements were clumsy. Miguel saw through that and switched to the GINN's machine gun, firing shots from a distance. Unable to maneuver the Strike effectively, Murrue was struggling to keep up with Miguel's pace. Confident of his ability to capture the Strike, Miguel switched back to the sword and closed in on his opponent. Once again, Murrue powered the thrusters and the Strike leapt into the air, narrowly dodging Miguel's attack again. Unable to control the Strike well, Murrue could not land it properly. Kira lost his balance upon landing and fell onto Murrue's lap, blocking her view partially.

"Get back! Do you want to die?" Murrue shouted as Miguel made another run at her.

While attempting to get himself off Murrue's lap, Kira looked at the screen and watched in horror as Miguel came rushing towards them, "Its coming! Argh!"

_Damn!_ Murrue quickly reached for a button and pressed it. Just as Miguel was about to sink the sword into the Strike's armor, he saw something change. Previously grayish in color, the Strike's color changed the moment Murrue pressed the button. The Strike's main body turned white in color with its chest turning blue in color and its torso turning red. The GINN's sword made contact with the Strike's blocking arms and caused sparks to fly out. The Strike, however, was unharmed.

"What!" Miguel exclaimed as the GINN's sword had no effect at all, "Athrun, is that the phase shift armor Nicol and Dearka were talking about?"

"Yes, it is. Once activated, all physical attacks will be nullified, even the GINN's sword is useless against it," Athrun proceeded to activate the Aegis' phase shift armor, turning his suit red in color.

Miguel turned to Athrun, "You get out of here now. There's no reason for you to hang around any further. I will take care of that last remaining machine."

An image of Kira flashed in Athrun's mind as he stared at the Strike. Orders are orders, though. He had to obey Miguel's instructions. Athrun reluctantly powered the Aegis' thrusters and made his way out of the hanger. Unable to move the Strike well, Murrue watched helplessly as the Aegis left. Murrue clutched the controls tightly as she could not understand why the enemy could move the machine so well, especially since the OS was yet to be completed. There was, however, a more pressing issue. Standing in front of her was Miguel's GINN.

Miguel attacked again. It was clear by then that the Strike did not have the movement to challenge Miguel, "All you have is that annoying armor of yours! With such clumsy movements, superior armor alone is not going to save you!"

"Shit!" Juni dived sideways to avoid falling debris as the Strike was thrown off balance by Miguel's attacks. The Strike was smashed against the walls of the hangers as Miguel ploughed his sword into the phase shift armor. While no damage was done, the Strike was thrown at the wall. Juni cursed out loud as she struggled to escape the falling debris that resulted from the Strike hitting the walls.

Able to see everything clearly with the Strike's on board cameras, Kira gasped in horror as Juni narrowly avoided a metal pole that fell inches from her. He got a bigger shock when Miguel came in for another attack, threatening to push the Strike further back and crushing Juni as a result. Unable to do a thing about the Strike's half done OS, Murrue was helpless against the grim situation.

_I have to do something._ Without much thinking, Kira wrestled the controls from Murrue and lowered the Strike. He breathed a sigh of relief as the GINN's sword missed the cockpit and scrapped the shoulder. Kira then pushed the Strike forward, throwing the GINN back. Juni was more relieved than anyone as she was certain that the Strike would have squashed her like an ant earlier.

"You…" Murrue was surprised at how Kira could move the machine so easily.

Ignoring Murrue, Kira began to push a few buttons in the cockpit, "If you're going to ride this thing, try putting some use to it!"

Kira quickly analyzed the Strike's program and shook his head, "This is nuts! How can you expect to move such complex machinery using this kind of OS?"

"It hasn't been completed yet. It can't be helped," Murrue replied.

At the other end, Miguel slowly brought the GINN up again. Being thrown back by the Strike was a huge insult for him, "Damn! I'm not going to let you off for that!"

Back in the Strike's cockpit, Kira was trying to figure out how to improve its movements, "Please move, hurry!" he said to Murrue. Normally, Murrue would have berated anyone who dared to talk to her in such a way, especially since Kira was a civilian. But she listened to him without protests this time round. His fingers moving at lightning speed, Kira began to type in various commands on the keyboard.

Murrue was speechless as she watched Kira typed in command after command._This kid… just who is he?_

In a furious mood, Miguel swung his sword at the Strike again, only to receive a flurry of bullets from the Strike's head mounted CIWS and a forceful punch to the GINN's head. Miguel was sent flying into the wall, sending more debris falling down towards where Juni was.

"Damn it! Watch it!" Juni shouted as she scrambled for her life.

With Miguel down, Kira had more time to alter the Strike's OS, "Weapons?" Kira began to search for available weapons, but the only weapons the Strike was equipped with were the CIWS and two "Armor Schneider" combat knives.

"You'll pay for that!" Miguel was burning with anger as he did not expect to be defeated. According to the information he got from Dearka and Nicol, the operating system of the G-Weapons were only half completed. A normal human being should by right be unable to control these machines at all. Yet, the Strike which was previously displaying sluggish movements was now moving very well.

"Is that it?" Noticing that Miguel had got up, Kira headed straight for the GINN, moving left and right as he dodged all of Miguel's shots.

"Damn it! Why don't you go down, you pest!" Miguel could not believe how well the Strike was doing, "How can this guy's movement improve so much in such a short period of time?"

"That's it!" the Strike pulled up in front of Miguel's GINN and pierced through the joints on either side of the GINN's shoulders with its armor schneiders, rendering the GINN immobile.

"Hydro not responding! Multi-drive system offline! Damn!" Miguel activated the GINN's self destruct mechanism and jumped out of the cockpit, using his flight suit's jet rockets to flee from the scene.

Murrue saw the cockpit's hatch opened and knew what Miguel was trying to do, "This is bad! Get away from the GINN!" Kira immediately tried to pull the Strike away from the GINN, but it was too late as the GINN self destructed before he could open a wide enough gap.

"Kira!" A distance away, Juni collapsed on her knees as the GINN exploded, engulfing the Strike in a fiery ball of fire.

_**End of Chapter 05**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine**_

* * *

_**The Strike finally makes its appearance in this chapter! It's finally time for some gundam action. I will also want to point out at this time that all humans are genetically unmodified (a.k.a naturals), so the idea of coordinators are currently unheard of. Yes, there will be coordinators in this story, though they don't appear like how they do in the Gundam Seed anime. You should be able to guess who are some of the coordinators if you read carefully (should be quite obvious).**_

_**I do hope that I explained some of things clearly. Hope you all like it. By the way, you should have realized by now that I provide some additional information at the start of each chapter, i.e. news, fact files or some other important facts I might want to put up. The majority of them actually hold some amount of importance; do read them.**_

_**Lastly, I have just updated the technical specs chapter. The profiles of the G-Weapons have been added. I did not put up their detailed profile since most of you are familiar with them. What's important is the description I put up for them. They provide some pretty important background information. Do check them out.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	9. Ch 06: The Last Machine

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

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**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 06: The Last Machine**

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_--Rheinland Expats Rock to Manhattan--_

_Rheinland high society is on the move and Manhattan is the destination of choice. With the economic woes that Rheinland has been experiencing, many of the colony's finest families are relocating to the center of Sirius. "I can live the life I wish to lead more easily here – it's a shame, but true," said Gerhardt Schlietner, a newcomer from Stuttgart. Immigrants most commonly cite the uncontrolled crime wave in Rheinland as their primary reason for leaving._

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_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Outside Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Athrun Zala has returned! We have also received a laser beacon from Miguel Aiman. It's an emergency!"

"It can't be? Miguel is taken out in such a simple battle?" doubts on the mission were beginning to surface as Ades stayed shock at Miguel's brush with death.

As always, the mask covering Rau's face showed little of his expression, "If it's working well enough to cause Miguel to lose his unit, then its all the more reason why we can't ignore the last one." Rau got up and headed for the exit, glancing over at Ades at the same time. Ades simply nodded, fully aware of his commander's intentions.

"Inform the hanger crew to prepare Commander Creuset's CGUE!" he ordered.

**Hanger Two, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"Oh, you're awake," Juni helped Murrue up and handed her a bottle of water, "Want some?"

"Thanks," Murrue drank up to quench her thirst, "You are?"

"Lieutenant Jun'ko Zane of the LSF," Juni replied, "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of the Navy's 5th Special Division," Murrue returned the greetings, "I'll like to offer my thanks for your help."

Juni shook her head, "You should thank Kira instead. He was the one who carried you out of the mobile suit. I believed he was the one piloting it as well, right?"

Murrue looked to where the Strike was and spotted Kira resting himself against it. She still couldn't believe that Kira could rewrite the entire OS within such a short period of time and under combat conditions. Furthermore, Kira seemed to be in his late teens. She found it hard to believe that someone as young as Kira could pilot a mobile suit with such skill.

"Is he a pilot of LSF? He displayed really impressive skills back then," Murrue asked, her eyes still fixed on Kira.

"Nope, he's a civilian. Kira just happens to be a freelancer working under me, and we somehow found our way here after some unexpected circumstances," Juni answered.

"Unexpected circumstances?" Murrue was hoping that Juni would elaborate more, but gave up as she needed to do something. Besides, Juni was from the LSF and Murrue felt that asking more would yield no results – LSF officers were seldom seen and known to work in secret most of the time, "Never mind. Would you mind if I ask for a little help?"

Juni thought for a while and decided that it would do no harm to help Murrue, "I'll see what I can do."

**Hanger Three, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

Natarle scanned the surviving crew of the _Archangel_. After the deadly blasts that rocked the entire shipyard, Natarle regained consciousness only to find out that most of the _Archangel's_ officers were dead. The lucky ones who survived happened to be inside the _Archangel_, with the exception of Natarle who somehow emerged unscathed after the massive explosions. Among those who were gathered in front of her in the _Archangel's_ bridge, Natarle had the highest ranked of Ensign. Besides her, the only survivors were Arnold Neumann, Romero Pal, Jackie Tonomura, Chandra, Kojiro Murdoch and a handful of crewmen working in the Archangel's hanger. As the highest ranked officer, Natarle had to assume the role of captain.

"We have to launch the ship right now," Natarle tried to recall all she had learned from the Officer Academy as she went about organizing the motley assemble of crew, "Chief Petty Officer Murdoch, I'll leave the ship's hanger to you." Murdoch nodded and made his way out of the bridge.

Neumann, who was packed with more experience, disagreed, "It's impossible with the number of people we have!"

"You should spend time finding out how to launch the ship instead of arguing with me. For all you know, Juneau might still be under attack by Rheinland forces. The status of the remaining G-Weapons is unknown as well," Natarle replied as she continued to check on the ship's status, "The rest of you take your seats and do as the computer instructs you."

"Rheinland vessels are probably still outside the shipyard. We are in no position to fight now," Neumann reminded.

"I know!" Natarle retorted, "You can't expect us to remain here and ignore whatever is happening outside, do you? We will fire the ship's cannons the moment we break out of the hanger!"

Her mind was clearly made up and any form of argument would yield no results. Neumann conceded to Natarle and returned to his position as the Archangel's helmsman. The remaining bridge crew soon assumed their positions as they explored their individual job scopes. Neumann was the only one who was supposed to work in the _Archangel's_bridge. The remaining crew, including Natarle, was supposed to work somewhere else.

"Prepare to launch the _Archangel_!" Natarle ordered.

**Landing Pad, Planet Manhattan, Sector 4C, New York System**

"We finally reached," Cagalli heaved a sigh of relief as she set her Patriot Fighter onto the landing pad. Tolle was on the ground waving impatiently to her; he managed to land his ship a few minutes before her. Cagalli looked down and marveled at his remarkable recovery rate. It was only an hour ago that he was too weak to even leave his bed. Now he was as energetic as ever.

"Come on, don't you know how to land a ship?" Tolle pointed to his watch in a bid to hurry Cagalli.

"Can't you be a little more patient?" Cagalli mumbled to herself as she ignored Tolle's actions and landed her ship as slowly as she could. She was definitely going to take her time to do just that, all for the sake of irritating Tolle. After a few minutes, though it probably felt like days to Tolle, she finally completed the landing sequence and got out of her ship.

"C'mon, I'm thirsty. Let's go get something nice to drink," Tolle hurriedly headed for the bar.

"I'm surprised you're not affected by what just happened," Cagalli said as she followed behind.

"You mean that headache or what Dr. Sinclair just said?" he asked.

"Both. How can you act like nothing just happened?"

Without any warning, Tolle stopped in his tracks, nearly causing Cagalli to bump into him, "What do you expect me to do? That headache is gone now, so it's the least of my worries. Anyway, I will not take what that crazy doctor said seriously. Whatever she just said were all bullshit. I'm not some genetically enhanced human, nor have I received that whatever implant to my brain. That doctor was probably just a paranoid mad doctor."

Cagalli walked up and placed herself in front of him, "Aren't you the least bit worried? What if those were all true?"

Tolle covered his ears and started walking again, "Stop it, ok? I'm hearing none of that nonsense. Let's just go have a drink and wait for Mu to come back. That's the instruction he gave you, right?"

"Yes, I know, but…" Cagalli tried to say more, but Tolle held his hand near her mouth and stopped her from doing so. Just as Cagalli was about to give up, a gruff sounding voice came up from behind them. It was a voice that made Cagalli jumped up.

"Mr. Koenig, I believe we should have a talk."

_That voice; just where have I heard it before?_ Tolle scratched his head furiously as he found the raspy voice all too familiar. Cagalli just stood at where she was and stared wide mouth at the approaching figure.

"Let me handle him," Tolle brushed Cagalli aside and approached the stranger with his palm digging into his jacket for his pistol, "Why should we have a talk?"

"Tolle, you don't understand…" Cagalli watched helplessly as Tolle ignored her completely and allowed his machismo to take over.

_Just what is wrong with him?_ Tolle was getting ready to punch the stranger. One second ago, the stranger was calling out to him. Now, the man was staring at Cagalli and treating him like an invisible wall or something, "Hey! What's wrong with you? Weren't you calling…"

"Oh! Cagalli, you're alive!"

_Of course I am, you bastard! _Cagalli tapped her foot impatiently and looked away from the stranger.

"You know him?" Tolle was getting confused now. Cagalli just gave him a quick nod.

"Pardon me, Mr. Koenig. My name is Hanse Marian," the stranger offered a handshake after introducing himself.

Tolle's hands stayed down as he took a good look at Hanse, turning his attention to the stranger's shoulder length black hair as the wind blew it untidy. He certainly cut an imposing figure; tall – at least half a head taller than the average adult male. Hanse rubbed his hand against the stubble at his chin as he waited for Tolle to accept his handshake – his right arm was still held up in mid air. A few seconds passed before Tolle returned a firm grip on Hanse's right palm. A sensation of familiarity travelled through Tolle's body as he made contact with Hanse.

Hanse smiled when he saw how troubled Tolle looked, "Mr. Koenig, I believe we're among the last few."

"Last few what?" Tolle was trying his best to recall where he had seen Hanse.

"We're the last few Freeport 7 survivors, that is."

"Hey, I know you. You one of those in that rescue vessel from Freeport 7, aren't you? You were seated at the front of the vessel!" Tolle finally remembered. Hanse just nodded and motioned for Tolle to follow him to a nearby freighter sitting just a few meters away from where they were standing. Confused as he was, Tolle decided to follow Hanse. Cagalli quietly tagged along while making sure to keep a fair distance from Hanse.

Tolle stepped into the cockpit of the freighter and saw that it was larger than the one lost at Freeport 7, "Quite a huge one you've got here."

"Take a seat," surprising Tolle with her sudden appearance, Lezzy Mira frowned as he appeared hesitant to follow her instructions. She casted a quick glance at him before setting herself down on the pilot's chair, whipping out her pistol before returning it back to a hoister slung around her waist. Saying that Tolle was uneasy was an understatement – he felt like he could lose his life at any moment.

Cagalli flashed a smile at Lezzy for a split second before reverting back to her "I'm pissed off" expression. She quickly chose a seat beside Lezzy and sat down. One glare from her was enough to make Tolle scramble to the seat beside her. The blonde relaxed for a bit as there was no way Hanse could sit beside her.

"Hello, my name's Lezzy Mira," taking out another pistol from god knows where, Lezzy began to dismantle it and started playing around with the parts for no reason. Tolle just responded with a meek 'hi'.

He leaned sideways and whispered into Cagalli's ears, "You know the two of them?"

"We're all comrades, Mr. Koenig," Hanse could somehow hear the barely audible question, "The reason I invited you here is because your friends are in danger."

"From what?" Tolle asked.

Hanse shut the door tight and sat beside Tolle, "Have you ever heard of this man called Muruta Azrael?"

_Muruta Azrael? Didn't Cagalli mention this name when I first met here?_ Tolle was beginning to suspect that he was at the wrong place. Cagalli also did not seem to be who she claimed she was, especially since she knew Hanse and Lezzy.

"Muruta Azrael," Lezzy had reassembled her pistol by then and was taking mock aims at a mini target board nailed at one corner of the cockpit, "Director of Internal Security of the Liberty Security Force since six months ago. His family moved to Liberty from Rheinland due to the ongoing war with GMG around thirty years ago. Since then, Azrael had been working in the LSF and subsequently rose to his current position."

"Director of Internal Security of the LSF? Then isn't he a superior officer of Jun'ko Zane?" Tolle asked.

"That's right," Hanse motioned for Lezzy to start the freighter's engine, "How he managed to rise to such a high position despite having few notable achievements remains a mystery, but Azrael is known to be a believer of radical ideals. He believes in the complete elimination of any who stands in his way by any means possible; and is one of the reasons why more and more of the higher class in Liberty are joining criminal groups like the Rogues. While not publicized, his so called anti-corruption drive has resulted in the prosecution of many who stood in his way, in particular high profile individuals who disagree with him."

"I get it," Cagalli nodded in understanding, "That explains why many of Juni's friends in the LSF disappeared for no reason. Azrael was the one responsible. Looks like my earlier suspicions on him weren't unfounded."

Lezzy then starting typing furiously into the on board computer, "That's not all. Take a look at this, Cagalli. It's the latest information we received from one of our last remaining operatives spying the LSF."

"It can't be!" Tolle and Cagalli shouted when they saw the data Lezzy just extracted. Cagalli thought she had never seen anything as ridiculous as it, "Captain Walker and the _Endymion_ are listed as missing, five years ago?"

"Interesting, isn't it?" Hanse said, "Navy captains don't just go missing like that."

"That's not the point!" Tolle stood up in anger and confused, "How can Walker be missing five years ago? We were talking to him just a few hours ago? I find it easier to make a run to Malta and return alive than to believe such a blatant lie!"

_(Note: Malta is the home planet of the Outcasts)_

"Lezzy, take us to the sky," Hanse ordered as he ignored the fuming Tolle.

"Roger, General Marian," pushing up a lever, the freighter's engines let out a roar as the vessel was lifted off the ground. Pulling away from the surface slowly, it took close to a minute before the vessel was sufficiently high to pull off any flight maneuver.

"Wait a minute, where are we going?" Tolle certainly did not feel comfortable having to fly with two strangers, "I still have to wait for Mu!"

"Not a chance, you little piece of shit," Hanse had already inclined his chair by then, ready to take a short nap, "That Mu La Flaga isn't coming back. If you want to see him, you will have to go to him. Azrael is probably getting rid of the Endymion as we speak."

"But…" Tolle tried to protest but was cut off by Lezzy.

"Don't worry; this is a highly modified Dromedary freighter. We've got some pretty impressive stuff back there," Lezzy pointed to the vessel's cargo hold as she spoke, "We even got one for you, Cagalli. Just don't wreck it like the one you had earlier, ok?"

"Lezzy, you should know who I was fighting against back then!" Cagalli retorted, much to the amusement of Lezzy.

Tolle, however, was in no mood for laughter, "Just who are you guys? I bet you didn't tell me everything back then, right, Cagalli?"

Cagalli looked away as she felt guilty for lying to Tolle. She kept quiet as Lezzy motioned for her to do so.

Hanse was quick to give Tolle a reply, "If you want to know who we are, then you'll just have to shut up and follow us quietly. Everything will be revealed in due time."

Tolle did not like Hanse's attitude, but he was helpless to do anything as he was outnumbered. With Cagalli's allegiance clearly to the two new arrivals, he knew he had to remain silent for the time being._Whoever you guys are, I'm going to force it out of your mouth. I will not be Tolle Koenig if I don't get back at you people for trifling with me!_

**Hanger Two, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Is this the one?" Kira stepped out of the truck as he pulled it beside the Strike, "This shipyard sure is big. I can drive this truck around like this place is a city. I even drove through a mini city."

Murrue looked up and gave a half smile, "Of course. This is Liberty you're talking about. Building a shipyard of this size is nothing for us."

Juni surveyed the truck for a minute and couldn't figure out what it was for, "What's inside it? Is it needed for the Strike?"

"Inside the truck is one of the Striker packs for the Strike," Murrue explained, "The GAT-X105 Strike is designed to operate in various mission types which are achieved by having different configurations brought about by various Striker packs. Equipping the Strike with a Striker pack will greatly enhance its combat capabilities. If you do not mind, please attach the Striker pack onto the Strike and try to contact our allies when you're done with it."

Kira nodded and went to do whatever was necessary. Climbing into the cockpit, he began inputting commands through the keyboard as Juni helped opened the compartment storing the Striker pack. Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly when an explosion was heard. Billowing smoke appeared at the top of the hanger as soon as the explosion occurred. Moments later, Murrue gasped in horror as a Rheinland mobile suit burst into the hanger with two of Liberty's Defender Heavy Fighters in hot pursuit.

"Hurry! Mount the Striker pack!" holding on to her injured right arm, Murrue ran towards the Strike as Rau made his unwelcomed entrance.

It did not take long for the hanger to be turned into a warzone as the two Defender Heavy Fighters started firing at Rau. Making full use of the confined space, the two Liberty pilots skillfully forced Rau to a corner with a series of coordinated shots. Thinking that he had the upper hand, one of them gave more punch to his ship's engines and tried to swing around the CGUE. Firing his missiles as a distraction, the pilot tried to nail Rau with his twin rail guns. From the ground, Murrue could see that the two allies were no ordinary pilots. Being able to fight a mobile suit using only two heavy fighters was quite a feat in itself, not to mention that the opponent was a CGUE, a suit normally reserved for aces and commanders.

"These two annoying flies are pretty skilled, but their luck is down the moment they chose to challenge me," Rau watched as the two opponents skillfully delivered waves of missiles followed by a flurry of rail gun shots as he waited for the opportune moment to make his move. His opponents would have a chance had they been fighting against a regular GINN, but Rau Le Creuset was far from regular. They would need to do better than a pincer attack to take Rheinland's top ace down.

"Let's see, I would be grateful if one of you would just go down now!" in a swift and sudden movement, Rau gave maximum power to the CGUE's thrusters and flew close to the wall, millimeters away from scrapping it. Majority of the missiles were unable to turn in time and impacted the wall. The few that survived that maneuver were easily taken down by the CGUE's heavy machine gun.

"Damn! Just what must we do to take down this guy?" Zeke Cunningham swerved sharply to his right as Rau's sword brushed against his ship's left wing. The resulting near miss unsettled the momentum he had and Zeke had to spend a few seconds to stabilize his ship. That few seconds, however, was all Rau needed to reduce the numerical disadvantage he was having.

Rau went straight for the other Defender Heavy Fighter, fully aware that its pilot was the weaker of the two. With the CGUE possessing superior maneuverability in the first place, Rau easily dodged the pilot's futile attempts to shoot him down. Firing his machine gun and shield mounted Vulcan gun simultaneously, he was able to rip off one of the enemy's wings. Rau then drew the CGUE's sword and went for the kill, slashing the cockpit in half. There was no way Rau was going to lose a one-on-one fight against a Defender Heavy Fighter.

"Donovan!" Zeke turned his ship as fast as he could and fired whatever weapons he had on Rau, but none of his shots met their target. Zeke widened his eyes in surprise as Rau charged straight at him with blinding speed. Despite his efforts, Zeke's fighter could not evade as the CGUE's sword clipped a chunk of its right wing and sent it spiraling down in defeat. Unable to balance the ship, Zeke could only do his best to land the battered ship, "Looks like we bite off more than we can chew. Fighting a CGUE with just the two of us is too much."

With the remaining Liberty fighter out of the way, Rau turned his attention to the Strike. While Zeke was fortunate that Rau did not make an effort to finish him off, the same could not be said of Kira. With the CGUE getting closer, Kira activated the Strike's phase shift armor and attached the Striker pack. Seeing that Kira had activated the Strike's phase shift, Rau opted not to attack and flew past the machine.

"Good, let's see how long you can last against me," Rau turned back and started to circle around the Strike. Having already captured two of Liberty's G-Weapons – GAT-X103 Buster and GAT-X207 Blitz – Rau was fully aware of the Strike's main weakness. While the phase shift armor and the beam weaponry equipped on each of the G-Weapons were powerful, they consumed a large amount of power. The Strike would run out of power long before the CGUE experiences the same thing. With the Rheinland forces running rampant on the Liberty forces outside the shipyard, Rau knew he had plenty of time to deal with the Strike.

"Commander, all Liberty forces have been eliminated," a transmission from Ades only served to strengthen Rau's strategy against the Strike. With none of the defending force left, securing the Strike would be easy. "Excellent, order all forces to remain where they are and wait for further instructions," Rau ordered.

"Kira! Wait, what are you doing?" Juni cried out in concern as the Strike was powered up and lifted off the ground.

Inside the cockpit, Kira searched through the available weapons, "Agni Hyper Impulse Cannon. That will do!" making sure to keep up with Rau's erratic movements, Kira took aim and fired.

"Wait, that's too…" Murrue was too late as a neon orange beam accelerated towards the CGUE. Murrue covered her eyes as the firing of the powerful cannon swept up a gust of wind.

Reacting just in time, Rau managed to move the CGUE to his left, barely avoiding the destructive beam. He watched in shock as the beam punched a gaping hole in the walls of the hanger. Knowing that he had to be careful when dealing with the Strike's immense power, Rau sent his CGUE through the hole and into a city like enclosure, "How can they allow a mobile suit to have such firepower?"

Kira froze as he realized how powerful the Agni cannon was. He was lucky that the blast was directed at a wall separating the hanger and the shipyard's residence sector. If he had hit any of the surfaces separating the hanger from the unforgiving space outside, the results would have been disastrous. The lesson was still not learnt, however, as Kira displayed his recklessness and followed Rau through the hole.

"Kira, no!" Juni could not believe Kira actually fell for Rau's obvious trap.

Seeing that Kira was gone, Murrue motioned for Juni to follow her, "This way! We have to go to the residence sector!"

"Residence sector?" Juni asked as she ran after Murrue.

"It's where we all live when we're off duty. It's just like what Kira described; a mini city of sorts!" Murrue ran towards the nearest entrance as she explained in haste, only to realize that the path to the residence sector was blocked by a collapsed ceiling. Out of ideas, Murrue could only shake her head at Juni.

"Over here!" a voice came out from the other side. Out of his downed Defender by then, Zeke had found a way to the residence sector, "There's a hole here! It should be large enough for us to pass through!"

"Lieutenant Cunningham!" Murrue was grateful that the ever dependable Zeke was there, "So you were the one fighting that Rheinland mobile suit back then!"

"Who did you expect?" Zeke replied as he allowed Murrue and Juni to pass through the hole first.

"What happened out there, Zeke?" Murrue asked as the trio were running towards the center of the residence sector.

"How would I know? I was having some fun with Jamie in my room when the whole place just rocked like there was an earthquake. The next thing I know, Jamie and I were out there fighting a horde of GINNs and two of our very own G-Weapons! I just can't understand how the Rheinlanders managed to enter Alaska. There was no way they could have the access to the Alaska Jump Gate. Even if they had the access codes, how could they punch through the defenses in Zone 21?"

"Where's Jamie?" Murrue was having a bad feeling as she asked about her roommate.

"She's gone," Zeke fought back his tears as images of his fiancée's ship blowing up filled his mind.

"No way," Murrue could not believe that the bubbly girl that moved into her room just months ago was gone. She had always loved Jamie's optimistic personality.

"Come on, this way!" Juni spotted the Strike battling it out with Rau far ahead. Murrue and Zeke followed and ran towards the two mobile suits.

Up in mid air, Rau was enjoying the fight, "What's wrong with you? Is this the best that you can do?" Dodging a missile barrage from the Strike, Rau smiled as the fight was going according to his plans. As he had expected, Kira was running out of patience and was beginning to take more risks.

"You've got to be kidding? Why can't I hit the enemy?" frustrated at his inability to best Rau, Kira was allowing his rash actions to get the better of him. He then did what he should not have done and took aim with the Agni cannon. The resulting shot missed Rau completely and obliterated several buildings in the beam's path.

"Damn! Does that kid ever learn?" Zeke would have punched Kira if he could.

"You still have to admit that Kira's something to be able to rewrite the entire OS in a matter of seconds and move it so well," Murrue words failed to add any comfort to Zeke as he fired off a series of expletives.

Only after the shot was fired did Kira realize his mistake, "Argh! What was I doing? Why did I use that huge cannon?"

Rau's delight, however, ended abruptly when a loud explosion occurred at the other end of the sector. Making the Strike's Agni cannon looked insignificant, a pair of reddish beam flashed across the sector as a massive part of the wall was taken apart.

"What the heck!? Which idiot fired those shots?" Zeke was close to turning crazy as more damage was dished out on the shipyard's structure.

"Can it be?" Murrue turned to where the explosion came from and watched as a large object emerged from the thick smoke.

"What?" Rau's plan was interrupted again as he now had to contend with the new arrival. He watched as the _Archangel_ came out from the smoke and aimed its Gottfried cannons at him.

"Just what is that?" Juni was completely startled at the sight of the magnificent ship.

"That, my friend," Murrue replied, "is the _Archangel_ – Liberty's newest prototype battleship."

_**End of Chapter 06**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

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_**Despite piloting the superior Strike, fighting against Rau proved to be Kira's hardest test yet. But just as he was struggling against Rau, the Archangel came out and interrupted the battle. How will the Archangel's arrival change the situation?**_

_**This is quite the chapter in the sense that I actually introduced three new characters. I also made Zeke the one to fight Rau instead of Mu; hope you don't mind this little change. I hope that you find this chapter enjoyable.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	10. Ch 07: Fighting the Impossible

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.**_

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**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 07: Fighting the Impossible**

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_--Drug Abuse on the rise in Liberty--_

_A recently conducted independent survey shows increased use of the illegal drug Cardamine by the young elite of Manhattan. "This is alarming news," LPI chief, Bill Watkins, said as he responded to questions at a press conference that was called to specifically address the planet's rising Cardamine infatuation. Watkins went on to say that the LPI cannot and will not make exceptions for youngsters under the influence. "If we catch them with the drug, we have to put them away," he later quoted after being questioned regarding the measures the LPI would take against young Manhattanites that were arrested for possession._

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**Residence Sector, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System, Liberty**

Rau looked at his mobile suit's status grimly. He had narrowly avoided a potentially fatal shot from the _Archangel's_ Gottfried cannons. The legged ship's sudden appearance had caught Rau by surprise and Natarle was using that advantage fully as she ordered wave after wave of attacks on the Rheinland commander. Rau gritted his teeth as he pushed the CGUE to its limits, setting the thrusters to maximum as he had to dodge a barrage of missiles. The _Archangel_ was proving to be vastly superior to Liberty's current ships – the Nelson-class battleship and even the Dreadnaught-class flagships were made to look like child's play against it.

"Not bad, let's see how you deal with this!" Rau managed to avoid the spray of CIWS fire and charged at the _Archangel's_ bridge. He was intending to hit the bridge with all he got, but Natarle saw through his move.

"Evade, starboard!" Natarle's body pressed against the side of the chair as the _Archangel_ banked sharply to the right and narrowly escaped any serious damage to the bridge. Rau was thoroughly surprised at how well the ship could move even in the tight confines of the residence sector. After some evaluation, he felt that fighting the _Archangel_ with just his CGUE was too much and decided that a retreat was the best course of action.

"Till then," after evading another round of attacks by the Archangel, Rau made his way out of the chaotic battle scene, "The Strike and that legged ship; I cannot allow them to exist."

Seeing that Rau had left the area, Natarle ordered for the Archangel to be landed, "We're landing; adjust the speed accordingly."

_**Archangel**_**, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

Juni slumped to the ground as she stepped onto the launch catapult of the_ Archangel_. Kira had brought her along with Murrue and Zeke to the ship after the fight ended. Murrue and Zeke just stood at where they were as the crew of the _Archangel_ went out to meet them.

"Lieutenant Ramius!" Natarle was glad to see that Murrue was alive and was eager to meet her. She promptly saluted Murrue, "I'm relieved to see that you're safe!"

Murrue returned the salute, "Ensign Badgiruel, I'm glad that you're safe as well. I'm pleased to see that you're able to protect the_Archangel_. You really saved our lives back then."

Just as Natarle was about to give a brief report to Murrue on the current situation, she took a peek behind Murrue and saw two unfamiliar faces. Juni and Zeke were quick to engage her in a staring contest. Neither of them was too pleased to be "ignored" by Natarle, especially since she was of a lower rank. It did not take long for Natarle to realize her mistake and she immediately greeted them. She was about to ask Murrue about the two of them when the cockpit of the Strike opened. Ignoring the gasps and stares accorded to him, Kira climbed out of the cockpit and stuck his feet into a ring that was attached to a pulley. Nothing could describe the awkwardness Kira felt as he was brought down by the pulley.

"Come on, he's just a kid," Murdoch, the chief mechanic of the _Archangel_, was sure he had not seen Kira before, "Isn't the Strike supposed to be piloted by that spiky hair pilot? What's that kid doing inside the Strike?"

"Lieutenant Ramius, what's going on?" Natarle's mind was having lots of questions as well. Murrue just looked away as she did not know how to answer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" expressing his queries in a more aggressive manner, Zeke walked up to Murrue and Juni, his voice clearly carrying a negative tone, "Why is there a civilian kid inside one of Liberty's top secret weapons? Murrue, you've got a lot of explaining to do!"

"Cut it off!" Juni stepped up and pushed Zeke away, "Kira did not ask to be inside that mobile suit in the first place!"

Don't talk to me like that!" Zeke slapped Juni's hands away, "I haven't even talked about you! What is a LSF officer doing here? The Alaska System is a top secret system only accessible to a select few from the Liberty Navy. The LSF has no jurisdiction here! How, in the first place, did you actually manage to be here?"

"Zeke, stop it. Now is not the time to be talking about these!" Murrue tried to intervene, but it was all useless against Zeke's famous temper.

Unfortunately for Murrue, Juni did not have a particularly good temper as well. She did not hesitate to challenge Zeke, "Let me tell you something, soldier. Don't you dare talk to me in such a manner. I have plenty of questions to ask you guys as well! The very fact that something looking quite similar to your new toys attacked me using a technology I have never seen before puts all of you here under suspicion!"

"What kind of technology?" Murrue asked, a hint of worry forming on her face.

Juni was all business as she walked up to Murrue, determined to get to the bottom of the matter, "It looked something like a cloaking technology. A mobile suit attacked the both of us in the California System, at the edge of the Tahoe Ice Cloud. This machine just appeared out of nowhere and attacked us. It was only pure luck that Kira and I are still alive right now. Furthermore, this attack so nicely coincides with the sudden and mysterious disappearance of many key LSF personnel, many of whom are close friends of mine. The next thing I know, we were being bundled to this shipyard I have never heard before and I see the very same thing that attacked us being developed here. Surely, all those things couldn't have just happened to occur, am I right?"

"Cloaking technology?" a deep sigh of concern came from Murrue, "Mirage Colloid."

Juni was now absolutely positive that Juneau was one of the main reasons for the recent events, "Mirage Colloid? So that's the name of that cloaking technology. Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Lieutenant Zeke Cunningham, I suggest the both of you fill me up on anything else I need to know."

"Like what?" raising his voice, Zeke was visibly upset at Juni's questionings, "Like how you ended up here? Then let me tell you this – I have no idea. All I know is that Rheinland forces are out there waiting to blast us off into the nebula and that we have no time to waste on this senseless questioning of yours. You can leave this place using your own methods if you're unhappy with us. It's your choice, Lieutenant Zane."

"Not a chance," Juni signaled Kira to follow her and went inside the_ Archangel_, "I'm gonna stick around and get to the bottom of the matter. My hunch tells me that this whole fiasco is responsible for the strange happenings in Liberty thus far."

"Fine!" Zeke turned to Murrue, "I'll leave things to you."

"Me? You can't be serious," Murrue was hoping that Zeke would take command of the _Archangel_ since he was the more experienced one.

"You'll do fine, Murrue. Besides, I know nothing of this ship. You will make the better captain," Zeke waved goodbye to Murrue and went in, "Can I have someone guide me around the ship?"

Looking at Natarle, Murrue motioned for her to bring Zeke around the ship. The junior officer promptly did so and ran after Zeke. Murrue let out a deep sigh as she stared at the Strike, "Something tells me that I'm going to have the ride of my life."

**Nazca-class battleship, **_**Vesalius**_**, Outside Juneau Shipyard, Alaska System**

Athrun straightened his uniform and took a deep breath. Pressing the intercom button at the door, he asked for permission to enter. The reply was quick and short, "Enter," Rau's voice came out from the speaker. The door slid open and Athrun stepped in, giving a salute to Rau as soon as their eyes met.

"Took you long enough," Yzak was ever happy to chide his rival, though the competitive feeling was probably one way. Standing next to Yzak was Dearka, looking extremely uptight as compared to his usual laidback attitude. Athrun could pick a bit of frustration from him, though. He was quite possibly unhappy at his lack of involvement in the last mission. Right opposite of the pair was Nicol who was probably the only one who had no hostility towards Athrun. He naturally took a spot beside Nicol.

Sitting at his desk, Rau flipped through a few of his files as the young pilots stood in attention. The masked commander casted his gaze on Athrun and smiled, his mouth being the only visible facial feature due to his mask, "Athrun Zala, according to the report you gave me, it seems that you saw something pretty alarming. Would you be so kind as to tell everyone in the room what you saw?"

Athrun hesitated for a while but stepped out and answered as ordered, "During the last mission, I confirmed with my own eyes that Kira Yamato is still alive."

"Still alive? After what we've painstakingly done?" Dearka turned to Yzak, "If only someone had done his job properly." Nicol looked at the floor as Yzak stared down on him.

"Nicol did his best. He could have completed the mission had it not for the unexpected interference," Athrun could not stand the verbal attacks issued at Nicol.

"Look who's talking," a grin came up on his face as Yzak chipped in, "I bet you will do no better. You can't hide it from me, Athrun. You're wishing deep down in your heart that Kira is alive, aren't you? For someone who treats an enemy like his best friend, you sure know how to talk big."

"Enough with your little conversation. Or are you all planning a spectacular show right in front of me?" Rau spoke up with not a hint of emotion in his voice. Athrun, Yzak and Dearka got what he meant and kept quiet. Nicol just remained still at his place, crestfallen.

Rau saw that he has got their attention and continued, "The fact that Kira Yamato is still alive means that our attack on the shipyard was only a partial success since he was supposed to be killed in that attack. I shall not consider the reasons that led to his survival. One thing is for sure, though. Kira Yamato is too dangerous an existence to be allowed to live. I shall make myself clear once and for all – Kira Yamato is to be killed on sight. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir!" the four of them replied together.

Rau was about to dismiss the meeting when Yzak stepped out, "Commander! Request permission to lead a task force to eliminate Liberty's new battleship and to take the life of Kira Yamato!"

"Not bad, quite a drive you have," Rau smiled at his young charge's request, "However, I'll have to turn your request down. There will be an attack on Liberty's newest battleship, but Miguel will be the one in charged. Destroying that legged ship is of paramount importance. You can't expect me to leave this matter in the hands of a rookie."

"But…" Yzak's disappointment was obvious, but Rau interrupted him.

"Your mission was to capture the prototype mobile suits, that's all. Return to the hanger and work on your suits at once."

Yzak backed down eventually. Even his hot headed nature knew how to back down when faced with someone as fearsome as Rau Le Creuset. He turned back and exited the room without a sound.

With the four young aces gone, Rau locked the door and took out an inhaler from a safe. Placing it at his nose, he inhaled deeply as the device emitted a sweet smelling gas. He felt a pleasurable sensation as the gas entered his body. Taking his time to enjoy that sensation, Rau closed his eyes and took a longer breath as he took in a larger amount of the gas.

After a few minutes of enjoyment, Rau put the inhaler aside and opened his eyes, "Ah… for the love of Malta."

**Zone 21, Sector 5G, New York System**

"Sorry to ask, but where exactly are we?" Tolle was understandably concerned as he peered out of the window. The heavily modified Dromedary freighter was navigating its way through a massive minefield, moving at an extremely slow speed as it had to make sure not to go near any of the mines.

"This, my friend, is Zone 21!" for someone whose ship was stuck right in the middle of a minefield, Hanse Marian sure looked upbeat. Cagalli slapped her forehead in disgust as Hanse displayed another of his reckless maneuvers.

"Zone 21 is a highly classified and restricted area owned by the Liberty Navy," Lezzy explained as she guide the Dromedary freighter gracefully through the endless minefield.

"Wow, thanks. That's so encouraging to hear," Tolle was beginning to regret his decision to follow Hanse into the vessel. The very thought that the freighter could be blasted off the nebula by any of the mines was more than he could handle.

"Don't worry, we're nearing our destination," Hanse pointed ahead as the faint but definite figure of a battleship began to take shape. As soon as he said that, Lezzy stopped the freighter and left her seat. She flicked a switch and a door leading to the cargo hold opened.

Cagalli knew what Lezzy's purpose was and got up as well, "Come on, Tolle. Its time for some action."

"Action?" Tolle blinked, "What exactly is happening, Cagalli?"

"Follow me," Hanse went through the door and disappeared from view. The only one remaining in the cockpit, Tolle unbuckled the seat belt and followed. He was soon greeted by a magnificent sight. Standing face to back were four mobile suits in the cargo hold, with their frontal portions facing the exit. Tolle stared at them with a gaping mouth as he marveled at the high tech machinery placed in front of him.

"Are those GINNs?" he asked.

"They're not, dumbass," Lezzy was amazingly in her flight suit by then, "You're looking at the ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type. It is a variant of the standard GINN created by us. Compared to the ones in Rheinland, these suits possess way better speed and agility."

"Come on, put them on," Cagalli threw Tolle a flight suit and helmet which floated slowly towards him due to the weightlessness in space, "We're going to rescue Mu and Walker."

"Will this work? There's only four of us!" Tolle asked as he was kicked into the GINN HM's cockpit by Hanse, "And how do you know that Mu's in danger? You guys haven't told me anything yet!"

"Based on intel by my operatives, the _Endymion_ is scheduled to be eliminated in ten minutes time. The location would be in Zone 21 since the minefield has only one entrance large enough for a battleship to go through. This means that Walker and Mu would be trapped. We will be spoiling their little party, though. You're ready?" Hanse asked while holding a thumb up at Tolle. He nodded and Hanse closed the hatch.

As Tolle powered up his machine, Lezzy's no nonsense face showed up on the screen, "Hey, Mr. Rookie, don't you dare mess up out there. I will personally kill you."

"Don't you dare look down on me," Tolle was quietly confident as the controls looked quite similar to that of a fighter ship.

"We'll see about that," Hanse had the hatch of the cargo hold swing open, "Follow my lead!"

One by one, the GINN HMs stepped out of the cargo hold and headed towards the Alaska Jump Gate. It took some time but Tolle eventually got used to the mobile suit's more complex controls. He was definitely impressed at how well his machine could move as the GINN HM was able to weave through the minefield effortlessly at fairly high speeds.

_Wait for me, Kira. I will definitely save you and get you out of Alaska._

**Alaska Jump Gate, Zone 21, Sector 5G, New York System**

Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia grinned widely as he looked at the group of ships lining up in front of his entire fleet. He had been at the Alaska Jump Gate ever since he was given two assignments. One was to ensure the safe passage of two vessels into the Alaska System. The other was to execute on the spot a wanted criminal of Liberty. Constantly bearing a complacent smirk on his face, the stocky officer opened up a communication channel with the lone Nelson-class battleship among the group of ships. The remaining three ships of that group were Drake-class gun ships. Walker's face showed up on the screen as the connection was made.

"Captain Marcus Walker, this is Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia of Liberty's 8th Fleet speaking," an obvious tone of hostility was heard as Garcia sneered at Walker's helplessness against his massive fleet of ships, "I'm glad you managed to arrive on time."

"Admiral Garcia, what is all this about?" Walker did not like the sight of an entire fleet of ships pointing their guns at his measly assortment of four vessels. Garcia's fighter ships were staring down on his own like a hungry swarm of locusts, more than enough to give any seasoned officer the chills. Even the presence of Mu's Moebius Zero did little to tip the balance a slight amount to Walker's side.

Garcia saw that Walker was not intending to go down without a fight, but he was not concerned in any way. He was fully confident that his vastly outnumbered target would be unable to mount any sort of challenge against him, "Captain Walker, you have been found guilty of treason and shall be eliminated on the spot. I suggest you surrender right now. I will consider letting your men off if you do so." He obviously wasn't intending to fulfill the latter part of his statement.

"Treason? Just what have I done?" Walker could not believe that a false charge was just slapped on him for no apparent reason, "You must at least tell me what I have done to qualify for me being guilty of treason, right? And shouldn't there be a court marshal or something? You cannot just kill me like that. The Liberty Code ensures me a fair trial!"

Garcia scoffed at Walker's response and replied with an even harsher tone, "There shall be no negotiation, Captain Walker! The evidence is clear; no amount of trial will save you now. This will be my last warning. Surrender now or face total annihilation. I'm sure you will at least have some concern for the lives of your subordinates, won't you?"

"Forget it, Walker. That scum is probably the mole Juni was trying to catch. He is planning to destroy all evidence to avoid being exposed. There is no way our lives will be spared," tired of listening to Garcia's smug voice, Mu interrupted the conversation. He fixed his eyes on the flagship of the 8th Fleet – a Dreadnaught-class flagship named the _Unity_.

Garcia snickered at Mu's comments, "Forget about fighting us, Mu La Flaga. Even the famous Hawk of Endymion is no much for an entire fleet of ships. You will perish right here, right now!" The order to attack was promptly given as hordes of fighter ships zoomed in on Walker's entourage. The battle looked like it would end as soon as it started as Walker's loyal band of men was fighting an impossible battle right from the very beginning. Completely overwhelmed by the enemy, Walker lost one of his Drake-class gunships within minutes of the engagement. The five wings of ships fighting for him were also picked off rapidly.

Mu cursed out loud as one of his gun barrels was punctured and rendered useless. The surrounding enemy was creating a deadly web of countless bullets and Mu was fighting on a tight rope – one mistake and he would lose his life. Used to overrunning his enemies with the Moebius Zero's gun barrels, Mu was at his wits end as he could not find a way past the swarm of hostile fighter ships. For every enemy ship he tried to destroy, there would be ten more trying to finish him off. Even as he took out one enemy ship after another, Garcia's seemingly endless supply of ships would replace every single fighter ship lost. It was a lost cause as Mu was simply overpowered by the sheer number of the enemy.

Feeling the same way as Mu was Walker as the _Endymion_ took one hit after another. The cannons of the battleship were predictably unable to keep up with the large number of enemies. Walker held on to his chair tightly as the _Endymion_ shook violently after receiving a hit by one of the _Unity's_ cannons. Fighting against dozens of battleships and a Dreadnaught-class flagship was simply an unthinkable task.

"Our engine has been hit! Unable to maintain velocity!" the helmsman sang out after another violent vibration.

"Hull integrity falling! The ship cannot hold much longer!"

"We're down to just one wing of fighters and the Moebius Zero! We're done for!"

"Captain, we've lost the _Daedalus_! We're on our own now!"

"Long range sensors are picking up four new contacts! Designation unknown! Most likely hostile!"

Walker gritted his teeth with the situation looking extremely grim, "Four new contacts? Additional reinforcements? The Admiral certainly wasn't sparing on his resources. Looks like I'm going down here today."

**Bridge of the **_**Unity**_**, flagship of Liberty's 8****th**** Fleet**

Unknown to Walker, though, was that Garcia did not call for any reinforcements. He was similarly surprised at the new arrivals, "New contacts? Where are they coming from? Can you confirm their identity?"

"They're coming through the minefield at extremely high speeds! Identity cannot be confirmed!"

"Try to contact them!" Garcia ordered. He could not afford any slipups at this point of time.

"Negative! They're jamming our signals!"

Garcia jumped in fury as the unknowns were threatening to derail his mission, "The four unknown contacts will be treated as hostile! Dispatch two wings of fighters to take care of them!"

**Battle Scene, Alaska Jump Gate, Sector 5G, Zone 21**

"Damn! Just how many are there?" Mu was having a tough time shaking off a Defender Heavy Fighter on his tail when he noticed the four new contacts, "Impossible! How can any ship pass through the minefield at such speeds? That's suicide!"

A transmission came in just as Mu was pondering about the unfamiliar blips on his radar, "Mu, Walker here! There's no way we can win this fight! Gather the remaining fighters and get out of here! Garcia has additional reinforcements coming in from the minefield! Judging from their speeds, it's probably a new weapon or something. Escape while you still have the chance!"

He disagreed, "Look closely, Walker! The 8th Fleet is sending two wings of fighter ships towards the unknown contacts. They seem to be in an intercept course! They might not be Garcia's reinforcements!" Mu used a wrecked ship as a shield and escaped from a salvo of missiles fired by the pursuing fighter behind him.

"There's no more time! Get out of here! I will try to hold them off as long as possible!" Walker was prepared to end his life as he saw no way out of the situation. He gave the order for the _Endymion_ to push forward as he attempted a kamikaze attack on the _Unity_.

"No, Walker!" the harrowing sense of death consumed Mu as the _Endymion_ limped towards the _Unity_, well protected by an impenetrable barrier of fighters and battleships. Walker's desperate and suicide move would certainly result in his death. Any attempts by Mu to change Walker's decision were useless as the latter refused to open a communication channel with him. With the outcome clear, Mu decided to listen to Walker's last command and turned back with the remaining four fighter ships of Walker's squadron following him. He was about to make an uphill task of breaking through the enemy's siege when he heard something on the international distress signal.

"Mu, Walker, we're here to save you guys!" Tolle gave a battle cry and fired away. A couple of Garcia's fighter ships were blown apart straight away as the four new arrivals turned out to be Hanse, Lezzy, Cagalli and Tolle himself. The GINN HMs were turning out to be far deadlier than the standard GINN used by Rheinland as the Defender Heavy Fighters were totally outclassed.

"All wings, concentrate fire on the mobile suits! Don't let one of them escape! The _Unity_ shall handle the _Endymion_!" the swift attack led by Hanse Marian on the 8th Fleet forced the panicky Garcia to shift his focus away from Walker. All of a sudden, the _Endymion_ was left with just the Unity and its accompanying battleships to contend with. It was still a total mismatch, but it was far better than having close to a hundred fighter ships on the opposing end.

Mu saw that the tables were turned and ordered his wing to aid the almost crippled _Endymion_, "Come on, guys! Now is our chance! Concentrate fire on the _Unity_! The fleet will retreat if the flagship is destroyed!"

Garcia saw what Mu was trying to do and had his entire fleet move ahead of the _Unity_, "Don't let that mobile armor near the _Unity_! Destroy the _Endymion_ quick!"

"Sir, half of our fighter ships has been destroyed! The four mobile suits are slowly approaching us!" one of the _Unity's_ bridge crew shouted as the GINN HMs were steamrolling past any opposition that stood in their way.

"Impossible! What are you imbeciles doing? The enemy only has four mobile suits! And why is the _Endymion_ still here? Is one stupid mobile armor too much to handle?" it was a good thing that Garcia was bald – the prideful fleet commander would be pulling his hair out in vexation if he wasn't.

"Sir, the _Endymion_ is trying to escape! Several of our battleships are unable to give chase as their engines have been hit! The Moebius Zero is giving them a difficult time!"

"One of the mobile suits has broken through! It's heading straight for us!" an officer added. Garcia checked the radar screen and true enough, Lezzy's GINN HM had broken through the pack of fighter ships and was charging straight at the _Unity_. The slow hitting turrets of the Dreadnaught-class flagship would find tracking down the agile mobile suit a formidable task.

"Shoot it down, shoot it down!" Garcia bellowed at his men as one of his Nelson-class battleships was taken down by Lezzy's specially equipped machine. Unlike the other three, Lezzy's GINN HM was equipped with a heavy ion cannon, similar to what GINNs carrying D-equipment would have. Her suit's heavy armament was a real pain in the butt for Garcia's fleet as she had both the movement and firepower to send his fleet packing. While he had the numerical advantage, Garcia was beginning to doubt his side's chances.

"Darn! Retreat!" Garcia decided that running was the best course of solution, "Activate the Jump Gate and lock it after we have jumped to the Alaska System!"

"General Marian, they're trying to escape to Alaska," Lezzy waited for further instructions as she easily dodged the _Unity's_ turrets. She could see that Garcia was trying to run away.

"Let them go," Hanse replied, "Our objective is only to save the_Endymion_."

"Roger," Lezzy watched quietly as what remained of Garcia's battered fleet entered the Jump Gate and disappeared.

Tolle let out a shout of relief as the battle had finally ended. He was simply amazed that four GINN HMs were able to force an entire fleet to flee. Garcia's incompetence was probably the main reason why their small force was able to succeed. A skilled commander would not allow his fleet to be defeated by just four enemies, even if they were piloting GINN HMs.

Nearby, Walker just stared blankly at the unlikely allies as his almost crippled ship was saved from certain destruction. He rubbed his face to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He wasn't.

_No way. We survived?_

_**End of Chapter 07**_

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_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

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_**The Endymion was spectacularly saved by Hanse Marian and his crew as the 8**__**th**__** fleet was sent fleeing. With Walker and Mu safe, the next step is to enter the Alaska System and locate Kira and Juni. Will Tolle be able to save his best friend? Or will Rau Le Creuset succeed in his plan to erase Kira from the universe, along with the Archangel.**_

_**Here's chapter seven for you all. I did not really go into detail the battle scenes and I just described the general flow. I don't want to write too much about this part as I want to get back to the Archangel as soon as possible. Hope you all find this chapter acceptable.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	11. Ch 08: Collapsing Land

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 08: Collapsing Land**

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_--Liberty's "G-Weapon" Project--_

_With the success of Rheinland's mass produced GINN, Liberty began to conduct mobile suit research in secret in a bid to catch up with their rival. Working with several talented scientists from the Border Worlds, the "G-Weapon" project was initiated in two locations – Juneau Shipyard in the Alaska System and Freeport 7 in the Sigma-17 system. Five mobile suits were developed as a result – Strike, Aegis, Duel, Buster and Blitz. Two important technologies were researched and developed – phase shift armor which renders all physical attacks ineffective and beam weaponry. While powerful, all the G-Weapons can only operate in a limited time due to the high energy consumption rate of the phase shift armor and beam weaponry. _

_Realizing their threat, Rheinland commander Rau Le Creuset set out to acquire the machines for Rheinland and managed to steal all but one of the five prototypes._

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_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Outside Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Commander, Garcia's fleet has just entered the system. His fleet appears to have sustained quite a bit of damage," Ades sent a data board floating to Rau as he shook his head at Garcia's incompetence. It was only through some inner connections that Garcia managed to rise to his current position, and Ades obviously did not have much of an impression of him. Rau took a look at the report and nodded.

"I can't believe it. One entire fleet retreating at the sight of four mobile suits. Looks like we will have some unwanted company soon," Rau got up from his seat and headed for the exit, "Inform Miguel's squad to meet me in the briefing room. We will commence the operation one hour in advance to avoid any unnecessary nuisance. Have Garcia stand guard at the Jump Gate. Those pests will probably overcome the lock we placed on the Jump Gate."

With Rau gone, Ades contacted a visibly humiliated Garcia, "Admiral Garcia, our commander isn't exactly pleased with your performance. Commander Schnetzler has also expressed his disappointment at your failure to complete your mission."

Garcia looked away as he did not know how to face Ades. Losing his face in front of a lower ranked officer was more than he could bear, "It will not happen again," he replied softly, "What happened earlier was just a fluke. They only managed to escape because I was caught off guard."

"Commander Le Creuset will hold your word for that, Admiral Garcia. For now, you are to stand guard over the Jump Gate. It is highly probable that the four mobile suits will try to enter the system. This will be your last chance, Admiral," Ades sent a chilling warning as Garcia's face turned a pale white upon knowing that he might have to face the four GINN HMs again. He trembled at thought of having to face Mu and Walker as well.

"I see that you understand your job. Have a nice day, Admiral," Ades gave a salute and broke the connection. He gave one last look at the 8th Fleet before issuing an order to start the _Vesalius'_ engines. From the looks of things, Rau was probably using Garcia as a road block against the enemy. The _Unity_ would most likely fall should there be a battle.

_**Archangel**_**Bridge, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

The atmosphere in the _Archangel's_ bridge pretty much summed up the uneasiness felt by all who were inside the ship. His eyes fixed on the interior of the shipyard's residence sector, Zeke sat on the chair meant for the helmsman, with his fingers tapping irregularly on the arm rest. Murrue stood in front of him with her arms folded looking extremely troubled. Natarle remained silent as she stood upright beside Murrue. It took quite some time before Zeke decided to break the silence, "So, what do you intend to do with the two of them?" his question was directed at Murrue.

"The two of them?" Murrue gave him a blank look.

A mark of irritation could be seen on Zeke's face, "That LSF officer and the civilian boy. Are they really staying in the ship? We will be involved in some heavy fighting very soon. Besides, I don't like the idea of having them sticking around in a top secret ship like the _Archangel_."

"Pardon me saying, Sir, but the two of them have seen many of Liberty's military secrets. I believe they should be detained just to play safe," Natarle was by the book as usual.

Murrue seemed to agree with Natarle's notion that Kira and Juni should remain on the ship, but for a different reason, "As you said, Zeke. Juni's from the LSF. I believe she can be trusted. As for Kira, I'm thinking that we'll need to rely on the strengths of the Strike."

"You're planning on using that for actual battle?" Natarle was unsure of Murrue's intention.

"How do you expect us to escape without it?" Murrue's answer all but painted the overall picture. The Strike was the only thing capable of repelling Rheinland's assortment of GINNs at the moment. The unwanted possibility of having to face their very own G-Weapons was also high with four of them in the hands of Rau Le Creuset.

"But we have Lieutenant Cunningham, don't we? He can pilot the Strike!" allowing Kira to pilot the Strike again was not high in Natarle's list. She wasn't welcoming on the idea of letting a civilian pilot Liberty's top secret weapon.

Zeke was quick to turn down Natarle's suggestion, "Don't be silly! There's no way I can operate that thing! Did you see the OS that civilian boy rewrote? I couldn't even get the Strike to stand upright with that crazy OS! I can't even explain how he managed to move the Strike so easily. I find it impossible to handle that thing!"

"In that case, we shall have him change the OS back to the previous one," Natarle argued, "In any case, we cannot allow a civilian to handle such important military machinery!"

"That won't work," Murrue pointed out, "The original OS was at most half complete. Even the assigned pilots were having difficulty controlling the units. Lieutenant Cunningham still can't operate the Strike."

"There has to some other way," Natarle protested, but she already knew how the final outcome would be.

"We can't just casually go out and be an easy target for them, right?" Murrue was determined to prove her point.

"Has the civilian boy agree?" Zeke asked.

"Not yet," Murrue was happy deep inside that Zeke seemed to agree with her suggestion, "I will ask him right now."

"Fine," Zeke stood up and went out, "I'm checking the hanger to see if there's anything for me to use. We'll leave the bridge to you, Natarle."

"Watch out for the enemy, ok?" Murrue patted Natarle on the back and went out as well.

Natarle saluted and watched as Murrue and Zeke disappeared from sight. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the outside surrounding. Allowing Kira to even get near the Strike was an unacceptable scenario for Natarle. Yet, Murrue and Zeke actually agreed to have Kira pilot the Strike. Natarle noted in her mind that she would never repeat the folly displayed by her superiors as she sat down and monitored the radar.

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Outside Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Matthew and Olor's units have launched. Miguel is next," the controller announced as two GINNs shot out of the linear catapult one after another. Miguel's unit soon launched as well.

"Is there a need to equip all three units with D-equipment? It's just one ship, isn't it?" Ades was understandably worried as the combined firepower of the three GINNs was enough to take down the entire Juneau Shipyard.

"It can't be helped, can it? It serves them right for developing such a powerful ship. We need the appropriate amount of firepower to take down such a monstrous ship," Rau was looking forward to the upcoming battle.

"Captain, emergency call from the hanger! Athrun Zala has launched in one of the captured mobile suits!"

"What! Athrun Zala launched?" Ades never expected such a thing to happen, "Call him back! Order him back to the ship!"

A smile crept onto Rau's face as the red colored Aegis Gundam sped off towards Juneau Shipyard, "Let him go. We're done with the data extraction anyway. This may, in fact, be rather interesting. A battle pitting Liberty's mobile suit against another."

"But commander…"

"Don't worry," Rau assured his worried subordinate, "I will bear all responsibilities."

"If that is what you say so," Ades had no reason to go against Rau and consented.

Rau looked at the Juneau Shipyard far ahead in excitement as Athrun joined Miguel's unit to take down the Archangel. The battle between the Aegis and Strike was something Rau looked forward to.

_Kira Yamato might just be the one piloting the Strike. It will be interesting to see how well you can match up to him, Athrun Zala._

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

The shrill of the alarm startled everyone in he bridge. Manning one of the ship's electronic warfare stations, Chandra was surprised to see the monitor reduced to a fuzzy image, "Electronic interference rising rapidly!"

"What?" Natarle did not expect an attack so soon.

"It seems our Rhienland friends have no intention of waiting for us to go out, that bastard!" already in his flight suit, Zeke made a dash for the hanger.

"Lieutenant!" Natarle called out, hoping for some instructions.

"Inform Murrue to take over. I'm launching in my Defender!" with that, Zeke left Natarle as the only officer in the bridge.

**Living Quarters, **_**Archangel**_

"I will not do it!"

"Kira…" despite her disappointment, Murrue could not help but sympathize with Kira. On the other hand, Juni looked like she was expecting Kira to answer that way.

"Please don't involve us any further in this conflict!" Kira added with an upset tone as Murrue had a guilty look on her face, "You may be correct that we are in the middle of a battle and that Liberty's interest must be protected. But don't you think that Juni and I have been unfairly dragged into this whole mess because of your actions? None of this would have happened if you guys had not tried to develop one war machine after another!"

Murrue was at a loss for words when the intercom sounded, "Lieutenant Ramius, come to the bridge at once!"

Murrue walked up to the intercom device and gave a reply, "What's the matter?"

"Mobile suits are approaching!" Natarle's voice replied.

_They're here already? _Murrue could not believe the timing of the attack. She paused for a few seconds and issued her orders, "I get it. All hands to level one battle stations. How many fighters can we send out?"

"One, Lieutenant Cunningham is already preparing to head out. The Strike is the only other mobile weapon we have!" Kira cringed when he heard Natarle's answer.

Murrue returned her attention back to Kira and Juni, "I believe the both of you have heard it. We're entering combat very soon. There's no way you can leave the ship. If we can somehow escape from here…"

"You people are not being fair," Kira clenched his fists in anger, "Are you telling me that I'm the only one other than Lieutenant Cunningham who can fight out there? Are you telling me that I'm the only one capable of operating the mobile suit right now?"

"Kira…" Juni knew she could never understand how difficult Kira was feeling at the moment.

Kira glared at Murrue at walked off, "I'm only doing this to protect Juni."

Murrue heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing his answer. She turned to Juni, "We're entering combat soon. I'm not sure if you would agree, but would you mind taking charge of the CIC?"

Juni was taken aback by Murrue's request, but she agreed, "I have never touched this area ever since I was transferred to the LSF, but I'll do my best."

"Thanks a lot, Lieutenant Zane. Let's go, shall we?" the two ladies hurriedly made their way to the bridge fully aware that a massive battle was about to commence.

**_Archangel_Bridge, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Our top priority is to escape from the enemy. Be careful not to damage the shipyard," Murrue gave the order for the _Archangel_ to launch.

"Four heat sources confirmed. Three GINNs and…" Jackie Tonomura gasped in horror as he recognized the fourth enemy, "One of them is the X303 Aegis!"

Juni cursed softly as she saw the visual of the enemy, "D-equipment? Looks like they're determined to bring this ship down."

"Is the Sword Striker attached?" Murrue checked on the Strike's status and saw that it was ready, "Send out the Strike. Have Lieutenant Cunningham's Defender readied for launch as well."

Juni got to her position and sighed as Natarle seemed to be having trouble handling actual combat. _Tssk… what is she spacing out for?_ She swiveled her chair and shouted at the rookie officer, "What are you doing? You want to be sunk by the enemy?"

Juni's scolding woke Natarle up. The ensign jolted from her blank state of mind and started to issue a string of commands. She watched as Murrue ordered for the Gottfried cannons to be fired at the enemy.

**Residence Sector, Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

The roar of a mobile suit's thrusters could be heard coming from the distance as Miguel's squad made their way to where the _Archangel_ was resting. Catching up rapidly was the Aegis Gundam. Miguel nodded as Athrun pulled the prototype mobile suit behind his GINN, impressed at how well his protégé could handle the machine. "Athrun, you came out against orders. Now show me your spirit and prove your worth!"

"You can count on me," the imposing figure of the Archangel grew larger as the Aegis Gundam went deeper into the residence sector. Athrun's heart pumped faster as the possibility of Kira fighting for the enemy worried him. He did not want to fight Kira as an enemy and was eager to change his heart through this battle. The Aegis and the three GINNs spread as two neon green beams screamed past them.

"Run circles round this ship. It has large cannons, but we're faster!" Miguel readied his heavy ion cannon and took aim. "Shit! Just what is that thing made of?" the _Archangel's_ laminated armor was able to dissipate the effect of Miguel's shot easily.

It did not take long, however, for Miguel to spot the Strike Gundam. He immediately had Olor and Matthew concentrate on Zeke and the Archangel and went after Kira. Acting as support, Athrun was not far behind.

"Alright, time to avenge my humiliation!" Miguel fired off a powerful blast from the ion cannon but was thoroughly surprised when the Strike dodged his near point blank shot. Kira tried to slice Miguel with his "Schwert Gewehr" anti-ship sword but was unsuccessful.

Athrun watched from a distance as Kira and Miguel traded blows with each other, neither able to gain an advantage over the other. His reluctance to fight Kira was evident as he hesitated to join the fight.

Miguel rued another of his missed shots as the Strike was proving to be a quick machine, "Athrun, get behind it!"

The order was given and Athrun could not go against it. He gave power to the Aegis' thrusters and circled around the Strike. Kira's mind was in a swirl as he watched the Aegis. _That mobile suit… Athrun? Just who are you? Why do I feel like I know you?_

"Kira, is it you?" Athrun flew inches off the Strike but made no serious attempt to attack, but that maneuver alone was enough to distract Kira from Miguel.

"Gotcha!" Another shot was fired but to Miguel's disappointment, it missed.

"This guy is tough!" Struggling to keep up, Kira decided to use the Strike's beam boomerang and hurled it at Miguel. The GINN moved left and avoided it. Miguel was sure that he had Kira as he aimed the ion cannon at him again, "There's no escape now!"

"Miguel, watch out! Behind you!" Athrun watched in horror as the beam boomerang swerved back and headed straight for the back of Miguel's suit.

"What?" the GINN's leg were sliced off as the boomerang gave Miguel no time at all. He watched in further surprise as the Strike came rushing towards him with the anti-ship sword in hand. "Shit!" Miguel knew he had no time to evade it and yanked at a red colored handle. The cockpit was forced out of the GINN's main body immediately. Miguel smashed the inside of the ejected life pod in fury as the Strike reduced his suit to burning wreckage.

"Kira, Kira Yamato! Can you hear me?" using whatever methods he could, Athrun tried to contact Kira. With Miguel ejecting safely, he could focus his full attention on Kira.

Kira responded by pointing his sword at the Aegis Gundam, though he made no attempt to pull off any attack, "Athrun Zala? Who are you? Why do you know my name? And why do I know yours?"

"Kira, what are you doing here? Why didn't you return? Why are you fighting against us?" ignoring the cries for help from Olor and Matthew, Athrun was determined to get an answer from Kira.

Kira's head was throbbing as he tried to figure out how Athrun was related to him, "Who are you? Why do you sound like we know each other?"

That last question felt like a spear driven through his heart as Athrun froze, "What do you mean by that, Kira? Have you really forgotten everything? Weren't we the best of friends? Didn't we promise to support each other no matter the circumstances?"

_Friends? Best of friends? _Rational thinking was no longer in the books as Kira was in total confusion. "Just who are you?" Numerous thoughts flooded his mind as Kira tried to comprehend the words of the opposing figure standing right in front of him. None of the words made sense to him, yet they just seemed to hold some truth.

"What happened to you, Kira? Why are you fighting us? What are you doing in that machine?" Athrun activated the beam sabers but withdrew as he was about to deal a damaging blow to the Strike. Kira backed off and swung his anti-ship sword aimlessly, his body too flustered to make any sensible actions.

"That's what I want to know! Just who the heck am I?" Kira went berserk for a moment as he suddenly lost control and attacked Athrun in a rage. The calm and controlled movements from earlier was gone as Kira just slashed blindly at his opponent.

"Crap! Not good! He's going berserk again. That fool!" Athrun had to use every ability he had to dodge Kira's fierce attacks.

Back in the _Archangel_, Murrue's face turned pale as the shipyard's structure began to fail. An earlier shot from the Gottfried cannons managed to hit one of the GINNs, but the power of the beam meant that the interior was damaged as well. Furthermore, countless stray shots and missiles from the battle had hit several supporting structures of the shipyard. It was clear by then that the entire structure would fall apart soon.

"Damn, why does this has to happen?" Zeke made a emergency landing onto the _Archangel's_ launch catapult. For one single Defender Heavy Fighter to take on two GINN was just too much a task for him. Zeke was already very skilled by being able to survive.

Natarle analyzed the crumbling structure and knew nothing could be done to save it, "It's not good! The shipyard will fall apart within a few minutes!"

"Where's the Strike?" Murrue asked, her voice starting to grow coarse after shouting out commands after commands.

"It's engaging the Aegis!" Given manual control of the ship's Gottfried canons, Juni waited for the right moment before pressing the trigger button. "Got the last one!" she shouted victoriously as the last GINN was vaporized by the powerful cannon.

Their joy only lasted for a brief moment, however. Within seconds of the last GINN being destroyed, an eerie silence swept through the entire area. It felt like everything came to a standstill at that point of time. Everyone in the Archangel's bridge held their breath in anticipation of a major event. Even Kira and Athrun stopped whatever they were doing as the ominous feeling that something dramatic was about to happen hung in the air. That brief respite also allowed Kira to snap out of his berserk mode. Kira, however, had no time to figure out why he totally lost control of himself as a loud sound like a piercing clap of thunder rippled through the entire sector.

"Oh Liberty, what the hell was that?" even within the _Archangel's_ hanger, the harrowing sound was able to reach Zeke's ears. Nearby, Murdoch just grabbed on to whatever he could find as he waited for a massive explosion of sorts.

Running across the entire structure, a deep crack formed on the main support pillar, which happened to run through the residence sector. Splitting neatly in half, the collapsing pillar set off a chain of destruction as everything fell apart. The outer shell of Juneau began to cave in as the interior was exposed to the unforgiving space.

"Not good! The thrusters aren't working!" Athrun was practically pressing whatever buttons and knobs he could find, but the suction force proved stronger and his machine was hurtled outside. Glancing to the left, Athrun could see that the similar thing happened to the Strike.

"Stabilize the ship!" Murrue was in no mood to allow the _Archangel_ to be caught up in the exploding structure.

"Fire!" Upon Natarle's command, a pair of red beams screamed out of the_Archangel's_ Lohengrin cannons and tore apart a huge metallic obstacle blocking the ship.

"Oh gosh… we made it," Juni slumped on the controls of her CIC terminal as the _Archangel_ escaped the crumbling shipyard after much difficulty. Even the mighty _Archangel_ would not survive if it remained stuck inside an exploding structure of Juneau's size.

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Outside Juneau Shipyard, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Commander…" Ades felt his hands turned cold at the sight of Juneau Shipyard exploding.

Watching in silence was Rau who did not seem a least bit bothered about it.

"Commander… isn't this a little too much?" destroying Liberty's top secret shipyard would certainly send shockwaves throughout the Liberty command, and Ades feared the political repercussions that might follow.

Rau simply ignored Ades and made his way to the bridge's radar screen, his expression as stoic as ever.

"What will you do? Liberty will surely react. The council won't look lightly on this matter if our actions are leaked to the public," Ades was feeling more uneasy by the minute.

"The machines we secured more than makes up for it. Besides, a war will start even if this incident never occurred. It's just a matter of when."

"But…" Ades was still unsure, but he was promptly cut off by Rau.

"More importantly, can we determine that ship's location?"

"Not with the current state of things," Ades fidgeted as he could somehow guess Rau's intention, "Do you still plan to go after them? We have already lost our mobile suits."

Rau turned and gave Ades a stern expression, "What do you mean? We still have the captured units."

Ades knew Rau would say that, "Are you suggesting we use them? Shouldn't we…" the _Vesalius'_ captain stopped as Rau motioned with his fingers.

"We're done with the data extraction and can now use them. What's with your hesitation, Ades? Haven't we already used the Blitz earlier?" Rau shifted his position to a table top monitor just behind the captain's chair. He motioned for Ades to go there as well, "Bring up the map of the system. Send a message to the Gamow to expand its search area."

Ades did as instructed and got up from his seat. "Any activity at the Jump Gate?" Rau asked as Ades took up position beside him.

"No news so far," Ades could see a worried look on Rau's half covered face.

Rau knew something was amiss, "What's happening? Why aren't they entering the system?"

"Commander…"

"Ades, get Athrun to the bridge right now. We have quite a problem here."

**Cafeteria,**_** Archangel**_**, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"That was one heck of a battle, isn't it?"

"Mm…" Kira nodded.

"You're ok?"

"Mm…" Kira nodded again.

Pressing her index finger against Kira's chin to lift his head up, Juni took a short look at him and shook her head, "Anybody can see that you're not."

Kira ruffled his hair and stood up, "I'm returning to my room."

"Kira…" Juni wished she knew what was bothering him as he walked out of the cafeteria. It was clear that something was troubling him. With Kira gone, Juni took a sip off her cup of lukewarm water, the dull hum of the _Archangel's_ engines her only other companion.

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"So, what's next?" with his uniform not buttoned up fully and a bandaged head, Zeke looked totally out of sorts. But he still turned up for Murrue's "emergency" meeting, though.

Murrue looked into his eyes and announced her plan, "We'll go to Mitchell."

"That prison station?" Natarle seemed to jump at the mention of it.

Juni just nodded in understanding, "I see. So this Prison Station Mitchell is located in the Alaska System. Have always heard about it, but never actually seen it."

"That station has a lightwave barrier protecting it, right? I heard its virtually impenetrable," Zeke spoke up.

"Wow," that was as sarcastic as Juni could sound, "Liberty's got the brains to install a lightwave barrier on a prison ship but forgot to do the same for her top secret Juneau Shipyard housing her top secret military secrets."

"For once, I agree with you," Zeke dittoed her comments.

Murrue ignored the non-productive comments and continued, "It's known as the 'Umbrella'. Once activated, nothing goes through it. It will be the ideal place for us to replenish and regroup," she explained, "Once done, we'll break through the Rheinland blockade at the Jump Gate with the help of Mitchell's forces and head straight for the _Missouri_."

"Sounds good, though I wonder if things would go as we hope," Zeke seemed willing to go with Murrue's plan.

With the plan in hand, Murrue motioned for Juni and Zeke to take up positions in the CIC. Zeke's Defender was crippled while Juni had no fighter ship assigned to her in the first place. "Prepare the decoy," the captain ordered, "Upon firing the decoy, we'll start the main engines and adjust course to Prison Station Mitchell."

Focused on his job, Zeke knew that escaping from the Rheinland forces wasn't going to be easy, especially with communications jammed, "A silent run to Mitchell. It should take us around two hours to get there undetected. From this point on, we'll have to depend on luck."

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

"Perhaps due to the debris from the collapsed Juneau Shipyard, the _Archangel_ has left the area, unnoticed," Ades gave his analysis of the situation while discussing tactics with Rau.

Rau promptly dismissed it, "I doubt so. They are probably sitting very quietly somewhere," he looked at the system map displayed on a table top monitor and tried to predict the _Archangel's_ next course of action.

The Alaska System was a small system compared to New York and had no planets at all. Filled with jagged rock formations floating all over the system and a thick layer of gas, the Alaska System was a difficult place to be in. Sensory equipments could not perform well and the rock formations made traveling treacherous for large battleships. This characteristic, however, made it possible for the_ Archangel_ to conceal itself and possibly escape from Rau's forces.

It did not take long for Rau to conjure up a plan, "We will set up a net."

Ades blinked, "A net?"

"The_Vesalius_ will set off first and wait here for the enemy," Rau pointed at the edge of the debris field created by the destroyed Juneau Shipyard, "_Gamow_ will search along this path, hidden," he proceeded to show draw a line through the debris field with his fingers.

"To that prison station?" Ades was surprised at Rau's tactic, "Won't they try to leave the system? Shouldn't we reinforce Garcia's fleet at the Jump Gate and wait for them to arrive?"

"Large heat source detected!" one of the bridge crew had spotted something on the radar, "Information analysis estimate that ship will swing by the sun and head straight for the Jump Gate at Sector 6G."

Ades was about to order the _Vesalius_ to give chase when Rau stopped him, "That's a decoy."

"But we should at least confirm with the _Gamow_, just to be sure," Ades was adamant that the _Archangel_ would attempt to reach the Jump Gate before them.

"Nope, they're heading for Mitchell. I'm even more sure of that now," Rau was listening to none of Ades' concerns, "We will proceed as planned."

**Rau's Office, **_**Vesalius**_**, Sector 4C, Alaska System**

Rau looked up from his computer as a voice came from outside his office.

"Athrun Zala! Reporting as requested!"

"Come in."

The door slid opened and Athrun entered, making sure to salute his commander. He stood in attention, not daring to move a single muscle.

Rau did not acknowledge the salute. Instead, he just continued typing on the computer, "I had wished to talk with you earlier but things got a little out of hand with the collapse of Juneau Shipyard."

Athrun's heart skipped a beat as Rau spoke, expecting his commander to reprimand him for the earlier incident, "I apologize for what happened during the previous battle."

"I have no intention of punishing you, but I do want to hear your side of the story," Rau had stopped typing by then and was facing his subordinate, "Particularly since it wasn't like you to do such a thing."

Athrun's head hung low as he struggled to come with terms to seeing Kira alive again, "That last machine… the one piloting it was Kira Yamato."

"Looks like you saw correctly then," Rau nodded, "Kira Yamato is indeed still alive, and he's working for Liberty right now. The report that he was on Freeport 7 prior to our attack makes sense now."

"I wanted to make sure," Athrun continued softly, "That he has not betrayed us."

Rau stood up and walked towards Athrun, "I understand how you feel, Athrun. I know he used to be very close to you. But this incident has all but proven that Kira Yamato has turned his back on us. Whoever tries to go against us will be exterminated, even if they are ex-comrades. I'm sure you understand this reasoning, right? After all, we can expect a storm to be cooked up if word of your existence is ever made known to the public."

Athrun kept quiet, unable to say anymore.

"I'll take you off the upcoming mission," Rau said, "I understand your feeling to not take the life of a close friend of yours, and I respect that."

Rau's last words stung Athrun hard. Even if he was no longer on their side, Athrun did not want any mishap to come upon Kira, "Kira… Kira is being used!" he stunned Rau with that, "I tried to contact him during the last battle, but Kira doesn't seem to remember anything. He could not even remember me!"

Athrun's words sounded interesting to Rau, "Can't remember? You mean Kira Yamato has lost his memory?"

Athrun was desperate to save his friend and continued to press forward, "Kira might have lost his memory after the Copernicus disaster. He's brilliant, but absent-minded and good natured at the same time. Liberty might have gotten a hold of him somehow and took advantage of him. If we can make him remember and persuade him, Kira Yamato might cease to be our enemy and return to us!"

"Are you saying that you will get him back?" Rau asked.

"He's one of us, after all. I'm sure he will return once he learns of his true identity!" Athrun was praying in his mind that Rau would give him the chance to persuade Kira.

Rau thought for a while and felt that it was a chance worth taking, "Fine, but… what if he won't be persuaded?"

"If that should happen... I'll shoot him myself."

Rau smiled, "Athrun Zala, I'll hold your word for that."

_**End of Chapter 08**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

* * *

_**The Archangel managed to escape this time, but Rau Le Creuset is hot on their tails. Athrun Zala also seems determined to get Kira to his side. Just what is it that makes Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato so special that their existence must be kept secret? Is Tolle related to them as well? Are there more of the same type?**_

_**And yes... Miguel is still alive, though I can't confirm for how long. And for those familiar with Freelancer, you will realize I changed the location of Juneau Shipyard and Prison Station Mitchell. I did that as their locations in the original Freelancer game was too close to the Jump Gate. I needed them to be further apart in order to re-create the chase scene in the anime. I also updated the specs page. Information on the GINN HM and Archangel were added. Do check it out if you have the time.  
**_

_**Anyway, I hope that this chapter is enjoyable. Thanks for reading! **_


	12. Ch 09: Phase Shift Down

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 09: Phase Shift Down**

* * *

_--Trouble in Zone 21?--_

_Civilian listening posts reported an unusual disturbance coming from Zone 21. Despite its exaggerated reputation among conspiracy buffs as an area for so-called "secret research", navy officials say that Zone 21 is only used for legitimate weapons testing and strategic training. "The common belief by some that Zone 21 is used for testing and development of top secret military equipment is not true," says Rear Admiral William Sutherland when one reporter suggested that Liberty is trying to replicate Rheinland's mobile suit technology in Zone 21. He also gave no comments regarding the alleged disturbance._

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Sector 4C, Alaska System, Liberty**

The_ Archangel's_ bridge was silent as the large vessel threaded its way through the debris field created by the destroyed Juneau Shipyard. The atmosphere was somber with the current spate of events that had happened. Neumann was guiding the ship as usual while the rest of the still green crew tried their hardest to do their assigned jobs perfectly. Natarle was all tensed up as she had never experienced any real combat before. She excelled in the academy, but had only recently graduated. Juni was moody as usual and spent the current peace adjusting to her new job scope. She was definitely more comfortable coordinating patrols and covert LSF operations than to man the CIC terminal of a battleship. Wearing a stoic expression was Zeke as his eyes did not leave the monitor for even a split second. He had the ominous feeling that the Rheinland aggressors would not take the decoy and was watching attentively for any enemy that might be in the vicinity.

Like the rest of her crew, Murrue was quiet. She had been seated on the captain's chair ever since the _Archangel_ set sail for Mitchell. Two things were bogging her mind. The first was the unthinkable scenario where the Rheinlanders fail to take the bait and intercept them before they could reach Mitchell. The second issue was Kira and the Strike Gundam.

_That's the last time I'm piloting that thing! I only got into it because I had no choice back then! Why can't you find someone else?_

Murrue sighed as she thought of how Kira reacted when she requested for him to be the Strike's pilot. He flatly rejected her.

"Ten more minutes before the _Archangel _clears the debris field and enters Sector 3C. Sixty more minutes before we reach our destination."

A report by Natarle disrupted Murrue's train of thought. She acknowledged the report and shifted her position a little. Sitting on the captain's chair for a full hour without moving an inch had resulted in a slightly sore butt and back.

Zeke was also starting to get restless as well, "Shouldn't that civilian boy go to the hanger? Murdoch has been complaining for the past hour that he's not taking care of his own machine," he turned and faced Murrue. 

"Didn't you hear what he said earlier?" Murrue knew what Zeke was trying to imply, but she also felt guilty for having dragged Kira into the whole mess, "Kira's not willing to fight anymore."

"Pardon me, captain, but shouldn't we prioritize the _Archangel's_ safety?" Natarle could not help but voice her opinions, "This isn't time to talk about whether he wants to fight or not. We will go down if the Strike doesn't fight."

Murrue looked back at Natarle through the corner of her eyes, "I understand," she replied, "But there's nothing we can do if he refuses to pilot the Strike, right?"

"Then we'll force him." It was a cold but practical remark from Natarle.

"We'll see," Murrue shook her head as she found it a little hard to deal with Natarle. The junior officer's hardliner attitude was a particular aspect that Murrue did not agree with. 

Juni ignored the earlier exchange, choosing not to say anything even as Murrue was contemplating whether to use more extreme measures to make Kira agree to pilot the Strike. She knew that being an LSF officer meant that her comments would count for little. While LSF officers were respected by the Liberty Police, the Navy seemed to have some sort of rivalry with them. They never liked having the LSF meddling with their own affairs.

"Large heat source detected! Believed to be the engines of a battleship!" Romero Pal soon gave an unfortunate piece of news as the _Archangel_ approached the edge of the debris field, "Distance two hundred, right beside us!"

"Beside us?" Zeke knew they would not escape so easily, but having the enemy right beside them was way too close for comfort, "It's even heading in the same direction as us! Looks like our decoy failed!"

It came a little too early for Murrue's taste, but there was no time to think about it, "Have they detected us yet? The debris might actually be shielding our presence."

"It's still a fair distance from us," Natarle was watching the map to think up a counter action.

"Target confirmed to be a Nazca-class," Romero added as he tried to retrieve as much data as possible, "It will cross our path in fifteen minutes if our speed and direction is maintained!"

"Not good! They will try to prevent us from reaching Mitchell!" Zeke was frustrated that there was not a single fighter ship available to him. The one he used earlier was not ready yet.

"There's another Laurasia-class right?" Juni remembered that the Nazca-class battleship wasn't the only one in the vicinity, "Can you locate it?"

"Wait a minute," Romero noticed a faint signal appearing on the sensors, "There's a heat source following us, three hundred to stern!"

"Behind us? When did it get there?" Her decoy tactic was unsuccessful and Murrue knew it. 

Zeke knew he had to think of something, fast, "At this rate, the Laurasia-class will eventually catch up with us. That Nazca-class will find us instantly if we use our engines to escape."

"We have no choice," Murrue decided that there was only one choice, "All hands, level one battle stations!"

**Living Quarters, **_**Archangel**_

_This isn't fair. _

For the umpteenth time, Kira flipped himself as he tried to fall asleep. He tried every position possible – lying on his side, lying face up, lying face down, curled up, blanket pulled over his body – you name it, he's done it. A hint of bitterness was etched on Kira's face as he thought of an earlier conversation with Zeke.

"_Kira Yamato!" came a stern voice from outside the room. The door slid open and there was Zeke, standing upright with his arms crossed._

"_Lieutenant Cunningham?" Kira wasn't expecting anybody else except for Juni to enter his room._

"_Petty Officer Murdoch is furious. You better get going. He says you should be responsible for your own machine."_

_Kira shrugged, "My machine? Wait! What do you mean 'my machine'?"_

_Zeke half expected Kira to reply in such a way, but he wasn't really concerned with it, "Let's just say that's what's been decided. You're the only one capable of piloting it, after all."_

"_That's the last time I'm piloting that thing! I only got into it because I had no choice back then! Why can't you find someone else?" Kira did not like how the Strike was forcefully pushed into his hands and he wasn't afraid to say it._

_Once again, Zeke predicted that Kira would say that, "Don't you get it? We'll all die if you refuse to pilot that thing. You said it yourself, right? That you will protect Jun'ko Zane." He knew that Kira would not ignore Juni's safety._

_Zeke waited and saw that Kira had no answer, "Right now, you and I are the only ones capable of protecting this ship. My fighter will take some time to be repaired, which means we really need you. You have the power to protect this ship; use it."_

_With that, Zeke turned and left the room, leaving Kira to ponder about the conversation alone._

"I have the power to protect? But I'm not even in the Navy. I'm just a civilian," Recalling the conversation only created more conflicts in his mind. Kira was torn between protecting Juni and his resolve to not use that deadly machine again. He was about to make a decision when the shrill wailing of the siren rang through the corridor.

"Enemy unit, silhouette detected. Level one battle stations. All military personnel get to your positions at once!"

"We're under attack?" Kira jumped from his bed and dashed out of his room, "This time… it will be the last time I pilot that thing."

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Sector 3C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"Captain, we're entering Sector 3C and will be out of the debris field soon," Natarle gave her usual report as the battle seemed unavoidable.

Murrue turned to Romero, "The enemy's position?"

"Laurasia-class approaching, 50 to stern," he replied.

"Start main engines in two minutes. Prepare the Strike for take off," Murrue was more relieved than anyone that Kira agreed to pilot the Strike, "Start engines. Prepare to fire assault cannons! Target, the Nazca-class ahead of us!"

As the ship's XO, Natarle was in charged of the CIC, "Have you confirmed the Nazca-class's coordinates?" she asked Jackie Tonomura, who was in charged of enemy detection.

"The debris field has reduced sensor efficiency by close to fifty percent. I will only be able to get an approximate coordinate!" Jackie was having difficulty locating the enemy's exact location.

"Make sure you get it right," Zeke wasn't slow to issue a warning, "Miss this shot, and we're done for!"

The coordinates were inputted into the system after some time and Natarle gave the order, "Lohengrin, fire!"

_**Vesalius, **_**Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Heat source approaching from ahead! Battleship detected behind that heat source!"

"Evasive action!" Ades quickly had the _Vesalius_ evade the powerful blast from the _Archangel's _Lohengrin cannons. Getting hit by it was not an option.

Rau knew the battle was his as the _Archangel_ reacted in the way he wanted it to. The ship's location had been revealed with that one shot and Rau's earlier prediction was spot on, "I see that they're firing in confusion, now that they've seen us."

"Have Athrun Zala and Miguel launch!" Ades ordered as they prepared to take down the _Archangel_.

Rau reached down for a receiver and contacted Athrun, "I'll believe what you said earlier, Athrun Zala."

"Yes sir!" Athrun replied before taking off in the Aegis Gundam. Miguel took off in his customized GINN which was damaged during an earlier skirmish before their attack on Juneau Shipyard.

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Sector 3C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"Two mobile suits have launched from the Nazca-class ahead. Three more have been launched from the Laurasia-class!" Chandra sang out as the Rheinland forces began their attack.

"Have Kira Yamato take off!" Murrue ordered as she rued their missed shot. The interference from the debris field was more severe than previously thought and had cost them heavily.

"Kira Yamato, Gundam, taking off!"

The entire bridge crew watched as the Strike took off. With the Lohengrin shot missing its target, their chances of survival rested heavily on how he would perform.

"The two mobile suits ahead are confirmed to be one GINN and… the Aegis!"

"What? The G-Weapons? And that mobile suit," Zeke was able to recognize the orange colored GINN straight away, "That must be Miguel Aiman, the 'magic bullet of dusk'! Damn it, Murdoch! Isn't there anything I can use?" He ranted at the chief mechanic as the odds were extremely unfavorable for Kira.

"The remaining three mobile suits confirmed. They are the Duel, Buster and Blitz!" Chandra was hoping that he had seen wrongly, but the three stolen G-Weapons were instantly recognizable and he could not have made a mistake.

Murrue braced herself for a fiery battle as she ordered the _Archangel _to defend itself, "All hands! Prepare for anti mobile suit battle! Watch out for the Blitz's mirage colloid!"

"Gottfried, fire!" Natarle seethed at the sight of the three mobile suits easily dodging the four beams from the _Archangel's_ Gottfried Cannons. It was clear that they needed something more to take down their very own weapons.

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

Listen!" Miguel was itching for revenge and was already searching for the Strike, "I'll give you five minutes to convince that Kira Yamato or whoever's in that last machine, got it?"

"Understood," Athrun had already detected the Strike's signal by then and had magnified the visual of it. He wasted no time and approached the Strike.

"Aegis," Similarly, Kira had spotted his opponents and picked up the beam rifle. Equipped with the Aile Striker Pack this time round, the Strike was in its most maneuverable configuration. He took aim at the Aegis but refrained from pulling the trigger. Kira's mind went blank for a second as Miguel's custom GINN passed by him and went straight for the _Archangel_, but he soon returned his attention back to Athrun.

"Kira!" the Aegis, by then activating its beam saber, stopped short of attacking and instead circled around the Strike, "Stop it already! We're not enemies! Why must we fight against each other?"

"Athrun… Zala…" Despite the gravity of the situation, Kira could not force himself to fire at Athrun. His body somehow wanted him to listen to what Athrun had to say. The _Archangel's_ safety seemed to be of lower importance at that time.

"Why must you, a Coordinator, fight against us?" Athrun prayed deep down that Kira would remember his true identity.

Still unable to recall anything, Kira took the gamble and pressed on for more details, "I don't understand what you're saying? How are you related to me? And what do you mean by a Coordinator?"

"We're different!" time was running out and Athrun was getting desperate, "Listen to me, Kira. There's no reason for you to fight against us! Return before it is too late! You must have been forced to pilot that thing, right?"

Kira froze at what he heard. Athrun's words did hold some truth; he was indeed forced to pilot the Strike. However, his resolve to protect Juni was genuine. "Athrun Zala, who am I to you?"

"What do you mean, Kira?" Athrun was hurt that such a question was asked, but he knew there was no helping it as Kira had lost his memory, "You're my best friend, of course!"

_Best friend?_ Those words brought up an image of Tolle in Kira's mind. He had long considered Tolle to be his best friend all these time. He had never once doubted his brotherly relationship with Tolle. But now, the appearance of Athrun had blurred everything. Little by little, the images of a blue haired youngster flashed in his mind – the times they spent together, the tough training they experienced, the friendship they once had. Kira took his hands off the controls and realized to his horror that he was missing something in his life.

"Tolle…" Kira needed to confirm one more thing, "Tolle Koenig. Who is he to you?"

It was a shocking question to him, but Athrun felt nothing but joy in his heart when he heard it. He knew Kira was starting to be swayed to his side. The mention of Tolle's name further lifted his spirits, "Tolle, is he alive as well? Kira, return! We can be reunited again! The three of us!"

_Tolle's the same as me? _Kira was unable to decide on his next action, but he decided to give a try, "Promise me one thing!"

"You're willing to return?" It did not come easy, but it seemed Athrun was finally successful.

"Only if you promise me one thing. I'll return, but you'll have to…"

"FIVE MINUTES IS UP!" at the most inopportune of times, Yzak chose to barge in, shattering Athrun's hope, "You're going down, Kira Yamato!"

"Yzak! What are you doing?" Athrun felt like shooting Yzak himself, but he knew he would not get away with such an action.

"Shut up!" Yzak whipped out a beam saber charged madly at the Strike, "There's nothing but death for a traitor like him!"

"Is that it?" Kira blocked with his shield, "All the talk about me returning is all bullshit, isn't it? You're just waiting for an opportunity to sneak on me! I can't remember everything, Athrun Zala. But right now, I can at least remember who you are. Never in my wildest dreams would I expect you to betray me like that!"

_He remembers me? Damn it, why must it turn out like this? Yzak, you moron!_ Athrun tried to go between them, but the fight between Kira and Yzak was too fierce, "Kira, listen to me! You've mistaken! Yzak did not…"

"Athrun!" Miguel's voice interrupted Athrun's attempt to contact Kira, "It looks like Kira Yamato is not going to be persuaded! We have to take him down!"

"No, he was about to…" Try as he might, Athrun was unable to convince Miguel that Kira was close to being persuaded as Kira was sandwiched by two mobile suits. Athrun tried to stop the fight, but Yzak was too hot headed to listen while Miguel was eager to avenge his earlier humiliation.

Kira fired off three shots from his beam rifle at the onrushing Duel, but Yzak was able to block the first and dodged the remaining two shots. Miguel swopped in from behind and rammed his sword against the Strike's rear. The phase shift armor negated the attack, but the impact threw Kira wildly in the cockpit. He was dazed for a second as Yzak initiated a follow up attack. He drew a beam saber and aimed directly at the cockpit. This time, the phase shift armor would be unable to block the attack and Kira had to raise his shield to deflect it. Sparks flew as the Duel's beam saber clashed against the Strike's shield. Miguel came in from the side and kicked the Strike in the head, causing it to lose balance once again.

"That's it! You're going down!" Miguel's kick on the Strike had caused Kira to lose focus. Yzak was quick to spot it and went in for the finishing blow. Kira watched in horror as the tip of the Duel's beam saber seemed destined to smash through the cockpit. It was then that he spotted the trailing leg of Miguel's GINN through the corner of his eye, still close to the Strike after delivering the previous kick. Kira's body acted on its own and moved the controls.

"Yzak, watch out!" Athrun saw what Kira was doing, but the speed of Yzak's attack was too fast to be halted.

It all happened in a flash, but it was all slow motion to Athrun. Grabbing hold of the GINN's trailing leg, Kira pulled the orange machine across and used it as a shield. Yzak had no time to react and gasped in absolute horror as his beam saber sliced through the GINN's cockpit. The rattled Rheinland pilot shuddered in fear and guilt as he heard Miguel's blood curdling scream through the radio. The GINN's conventional armor had no chance against a beam saber and was sliced apart like knife through butter. Miguel's GINN was cut in half and the two pieces hung in space for a few seconds before turning into a ball of flame.

"Miguel!" He was trained as an elite soldier not display no emotion during a battle, but training and actual combat were two different things altogether. Tears began to swell in his eyes as Athrun saw his mentor's machine turned to nothing. The fact that Kira was partly responsible for Miguel's death made it even more bitter.

"It… it can't be…" Perhaps the one being hit the hardest was Yzak. Nothing could have prepared him for such a situation. The painful revelation that Miguel's suit was done for by his beam saber was not an easy one to take. "Kira Yamato… you're going to pay for this!" Yzak burst into a rage and let loose with his beam rifle as he fired shot after shot at the Strike.

Having someone die right in front of him was a terrifying experience for Kira, even if he did not personally know Miguel. But he had no time to dwell on Miguel's death as Yzak was on the offensive once again.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Yzak was losing his cool, evident by his overly aggressive moves against the Strike.

"Yzak! Calm down!" Athrun knew that Yzak's rash actions could result in a third casualty and was desperate to prevent it. He did not want to see Kira hurt in any way as well.

"Silence!" Yzak wasn't keen on listening to his long time rival, "What are you doing? Support me!"

_**Vesalius,**_**Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Enemy vessel approaching, distance 740. The _Gamow_ has confirmed that the enemy's fighting strength is just one mobile suit."

Rau smiled at the battle report, "So that ship has only the Strike to defend it. Looks like that Defender Heavy Fighter that fought in Juneau is not ready yet."

"I believe we can make that assumption," Ades nodded in agreement. There was nothing to suggest that Rau's assessment was inaccurate.

With the enemy outnumbered, victory seemed assured. Rau, however, was having an uneasy feeling. "How are things going at the Jump Gate? Has that Walker tried to enter the system?" he asked, "I heard that Mu La Flaga and a few extremists from The Order were there as well. Anything from Garcia yet?"

"Still no activity," Ades replied.

The answer was far from satisfactory for Rau, "Is the Jump Gate the only way into Alaska? Is there any other way that we don't know of?" Rau left his chair and went to analyze the map. "Scan the entire system for any sort of anomalies that resemble a jump hole."

"Commander, is there a need to?" Ades asked, baffled.

"There is a need to," Rau felt the need to exercise more caution, "The very fact that the Jump Gate has yet to be breached points to the possibility that there is another way of entering Alaska. The debris field created by the destroyed shipyard has reduced sensor efficiency and our enemies might just sneak up on us unnoticed."

Planning a few steps ahead had always been one of Rau's strong points, and Ades could not help but marvel at his commander's amazing ability to consider factors that he would not even think of. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to be cautious."

"We're approaching enemy vessel, distance 630. Enemy will be in firing range soon."

Rau acknowledged the report and issued the order to commence attack on the _Archangel_, "We will be in firing range soon. Prepare to fire main cannons!"

"Commander, our units are still in the area," Ades wanted their mobile suits to withdraw first.

Rau dismissed his concerns, however, "Our guys are not so clumsy to be hit by friendly fire."

Ades had no choice but to obey, "Prepare main cannons! Target: enemy vessel!"

_What's this feeling? It can't be… Mu La Flaga?_

The attack was about to start when Rau gave an unexpected order, "Boost engines to maximum! Lower bow, pitch angle 60!"

"Huh?" Ades had no idea what Rau was thinking. A moment ago, he was ordering an attack. Now, Rau was issuing evasive movements for no apparent reason.

"Heat source approaching from below. It's a mobile armor!"

"Evasive measures!" The ship shook violently as it was attacked from multiple directions. Ades cursed as the Moebius Zero flew past the bridge and fired an anchor on the _Vesalius_. Mu went round the Vesalius and headed in the direction of the_Archangel_.

"Status!" Rau demanded.

"Engines have been damaged. We're losing thrust!"

_Damn you, Mu._ Rau could not hate his long time nemesis even more, "We're leaving! Ades, inform the_Gamow_."

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Alright!" Mu pumped his fist victoriously as the Vesalius was effectively crippled by the last attack. The next thing now was to take care of the enemy mobile suits.

"Great shot, Mu!" Emerging from within the debris was Tolle in his GINN HM. While still not quite used to his spanking new machine, Tolle was able to guide it through the debris field with ease.

"You're ready?" Mu asked as he tried to establish a communication line with the _Archangel_, "Cover me while I try to contact that ship."

"Got it," Tolle went ahead of Mu and headed straight for where the Strike was. If there was any chance of the _Archangel_ surviving, it would be to destroy the stolen G-Weapons.

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"We're picking up two new heat sources!" Jackie Tonomura reported to Natarle as two blips appeared on the radar.

"Identify them!" Natarle ordered, "Are they allies?"

Jackie studied the heat signatures and recognized the Moebius Zero, "One of them is a mobile armor - the TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero. The other one is an unknown mobile suit. I've never seen such a model before!"

Juni jumped at the mention of the Moebius Zero, "Bring up a visual of that Moebius Zero!" The image was brought up and Juni had no doubts on who was in the orange colored mobile armor, "That's Mu La Flaga. He's an ally!"

"What about that unknown mobile suit?" Natarle was skeptical.

"Hey, can you guys hear me?" The sound of static was heavy as Mu tried to contact the Archangel, "This is Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Liberty Security Force. The Nazca-class has been hit. Take this opportunity and take it down now! I'm sending you the coordinates."

"Murrue, fire the Lohengrin!" Zeke decided that it was worth taking the gamble.

"Do it!" Juni agreed, "He can be trusted!"

Murrue nodded, "Fire the Lohengrin! Inform the Strike to stay clear from the line of fire!"

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

Yzak was in the thick of the battle when he received an urgent message on his unit's neural net.

"_Vesalius was damaged by a surprise attack. Withdraw all units immediately."_

"No way! The _Vesalius_ was hit?" Yzak did not expect the battle to take such a sudden turn of events, especially since they had a major advantage over the enemy.

Dearka was equally surprised at the news, "They want us to retreat?" He engaged the thrusters and moved the Buster Gundam clear of a pair of neon green beams from the _Archangel's_ Gottfried cannon. He combined the gun launcher and high-energy rifle together and fired, only to grunt in frustration as the _Archangel's_ laminated armor dissipated the beam shot and took no damage.

"Guys, watch out for the enemy ship's main cannons!" Nicol noticed the_Archangel's_ Lohengrin cannons starting up and warned his comrades at once.

"The_Vesalius_!" It did not take much for Athrun to realize that the Lohengrin cannons were pointed at the _Vesalius_.

"Shit!" Yzak seethed in anger as he watched two red beams racing across the debris field and towards the _Vesalius_.

_**Vesalius,**_**Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Heat source approaching! Three seconds to impact!"

For once, Rau felt like his life was in danger, "Starboard, maximum thrust! Dodge it!"

The helmsman yanked the steering wheel with all he got as the _Vesalius_ veered hard to the right. The resulting movement spared the Rheinland battleship a direct hit, but its port side was scrapped by one of the Lohengrin beams. Being scrapped by a positron beam was enough to deal a massive amount of damage on the _Vesalius_ as it could no longer take part in the battle. Rau was left with no choice but to order a complete retreat as the _Vesalius_ deviated from its original course.

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

Three colored signal flares were fired from the _Archangel_ as the Strike was ordered to return. Yzak, still bitter at the death of Miguel, was in no mood to allow Kira to return.

"Yzak, we've been ordered to retreat!" Athrun tried to no avail to stop Yzak from resuming his attack on the Strike. All he got in return was a harsh response, "Shut up, you coward!" Yzak practically shouted over the radio.

"Damn! It's not good!" Kira tried to return to the _Archangel_ but was largely unsuccessful. Avoiding getting hit by Yzak's relentless attacks was pretty much the best he could do. Kira looked at the panel indicating the Strike's power and realized to his horror that his suit was running out of power.

With a beam saber on each of his suit's arm, Yzak made another run at the Strike. Supporting him with long range fire from behind was Dearka in his Buster Gundam. Forced to defend against Dearka's shots, Kira was left with little space for error, especially with the Duel closing in on him. Desperate to defend himself, Kira fired a few blind shots with his beam rifle and missed unsurprisingly. He applied the Strike's thrusters again and managed to dodge a barrage of shots from the Buster. Lifting up his beam rifle again, Kira took aim at the Duel and attempted to take him down. It was then that the inevitable happened.

"This can't be happening!" the green beam that was supposed to emerge from the beam rifle's muzzle sputtered and died. Seconds later, the Strike's phase shift armor was down as its armor returned to the dull grey color it originally had.

It was a chance Yzak jumped on immediately, "DIIEEE!" He chased after the Strike and got ready to slice it half.

"Damn! I have to stop them!" Athrun could not bear the sight of Kira being killed by Yzak and headed straight for the pair. Transforming the Aegis into its mobile armor mode, Athrun cut Yzak's path and latched onto the Strike. The Duel Gundam was left with no choice but to refrain from dealing the final blow as the Aegis would have been destroyed had he done so.

Expecting the Strike to be destroyed by the Duel, Kira closed his eyes in anticipation for the end. The end, however, did not come. Kira opened his eyes upon realization that he was still alive, shocked at the godsend luck that had just been gifted to him.

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Kira!" Juni wished at that very instance that she could help Kira escape, but she couldn't.

"The Strike's been captured by the Aegis!"

"Damn it! Can't we take the enemy down?" Even with the thousands of simulations she had gone through in the Academy, Natarle had no solution to the grave situation.

"We will hit the Strike if we fire! Can't we do something?" Zeke was running out of ideas as well. 

Murrue was lost for words when she remembered that Mu's Moebius Zero and Tolle's GINN HM were still outside. She immediately had Juni contact Mu, "Have the both of them intercept the Aegis!" she asked Juni.

Mu immediately contacted Murrue directly, "Is there any other power source for the Strike?"

"We can attach another Striker Pack on it," Murrue replied.

"Can that be sent out in any way?" he asked again.

Murrue was beginning to understand what Mu was getting at, but she was unsure of his plan, "We can send it out through the catapult, but…"

"That will do!" Mu's voice was clear despite the heavy static, "Stand by for that Striker thing or whatever you call it when I free Kira from that red mobile suit. I'll leave the timing to you!"

"What?" Murrue had never even attempted such a bold move before, but it was all or nothing and she decided to give it a try. She turned to Natarle, "You heard what he said. Get ready the Launcher Striker and launch it when Lieutenant La Flaga gives the signal! In the mean time, we will hold off the Laurasia-class behind us!"

"Got it!" Zeke was eager to see if Mu's plan would work out, "Let's see what you're capable of, Hawk of Endymion!"

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

The Moebius Zero sped through the debris field as Mu raced towards the Strike. Following close behind was Tolle in his GINN HM.

"Kid, listen carefully. I will fire at that red mobile suit and force it to release Kira. I want you to cover me at the same time. Once Kira has been released, we will hold off the four enemy units while Kira go get his new power source, get it?"

Tolle nodded, "Count on me! I will definitely save Kira!"

Mu psyched himself up as the five Gundams came into view, "Let's go, kid! I hope Kira gets to survive this one!"

_**End of Chapter 09**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

* * *

_**The Archangel's attempt to escape to Mitchell wasn't as smooth as planned as Rau outsmarted them. Only the sudden and still unexplained arrival of Mu and Tolle saved the Archangel from certain defeat. Things, however, would not go on that easily as the Strike ran out of power. Will Athrun succeed in bringing Kira back to the Vesalius? Or will Mu and Tolle get him back to the Archangel?**_

_**Hope this chapter is written well. I'm sorry for ending the chapter without concluding the battle. I did not want to post too long a chapter. Do tell me if you like this chapter or not.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	13. Ch 10: Entering the Impregnable Fortress

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 10: Entering the Impregnable Fortress**

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_--The Drug: Cardamine--_

_Cardamine is an addictive drug that is declared contraband by all the major houses (Liberty, Kusari, Rheinland, and Bretonia). It is produced by the Outcasts who reside in the Omicron Alpha system. Upon planetfall on Planet Malta, they discovered a strange Orange grass that completely covered the planet. They thought nothing of it, until Outcast pilots who left the system unexpectedly began experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Closer examination of the pilots' blood revealed that their genetic make-up had been altered to be identical in places to that of the strange orange grass now called Cardamine. The outcasts soon discovered, however, that the body did not build a tolerance for the drug, so they distilled the plant into a form that could be easily inhaled to prevent their pilots from crashing due to withdrawal. Many outcasts on bases can be seen wearing their distinctive Cardamine inhalers, constantly feeding them with their fix for the drug._

* * *

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

The alarm was blaring loudly as the powered down Strike was helpless in the heat of the situation. Kira pulled hard at the controls and got nothing in result. He typed various commands into the keyboard but received no response from the Strike's system. Whatever buttons or knobs that looked useful were pressed on; none worked. Kira looked left and right flustered as he tried to break free from the Aegis' firm hold on him. Desperate to break free, he tried the last resort, "Athrun Zala! What are you doing?" he cried out desperately through the radio.

"I'm taking you to the _Gamow_." Athrun's determined reply came immediately.

"What?" Kira wasn't exactly open to the idea of entering a Rheinland battleship; not after his heated battle with them, "Get serious, Athrun! You expect me to go with you after all these? Stop joking with me!"

"You're a Coordinator! You're one of us!" Letting go of the Strike would mean exposing a defenseless Kira to mortal danger, and Athrun had no intention of doing so. He believed that bringing Kira back to the _Gamow_ would do everybody good.

In danger of being taken to an enemy ship and facing separation from those close to him, Kira was in a panicky mood. He refused to back down, "I don't understand what you're saying at all? What's a Coordinator? And what's the deal with me being a Coordinator?"

"I can't explain to you right now," Athrun replied, "Just let me bring you back and I will explain in detail later!"

"Let me go! I'm still not going to join you!" Kira stubbornly refused Athrun's offer. He was in too much confusion to consider any alternatives.

Athrun knew that reasoning alone would not sway Kira in such a situation and had no choice but to ignore his ranting, "Cut it off! Just let me take you," Athrun paused for a moment, switching to a more serious tone, "Or I will have to shoot you!"

Kira silenced himself as Athrun's harsh words presented the reality in its whole entirety. His fighting spirit taking a dampener, Kira kept quiet for the moment, unsure of his next move. The brief silence, however, only lasted but for a few seconds as another problem emerged.

"What do you think you are doing, Athrun!" Kira wasn't the only one Athrun had to contend with. In fact, Yzak could be considered the more problematic one. His failure to avenge Miguel's death did little to quell his hot headed nature.

"I'm capturing this machine!" It was the most politically correct answer that Athrun could come up with. He knew Yzak would not take such an answer, but there was no other choice.

"Our orders are to destroy it! You're ignoring orders!" Even the normally laidback Dearka was vocal in echoing Yzak's opinions.

"This is an excellent chance to capture the last machine!" Athrun held firm to his decision and blocked off any comments that opposed his actions, "We're retreating anyway!"

"Athrun!" Already ridden with guilt for Miguel's death, Yzak's failure to take Kira's life only served as further insult to his pride. "Damn it!" He watched with intense hatred as the powered down Strike was shielded by the Aegis and taken back to the _Gamow_.

"Guys, stop quarrelling!" Nicol had spotted hostile units and moved quickly to dispel the unhealthy tension, "We've got company!"

Yzak gritted in exasperation as two hostile contacts neared, "Dearka! Don't let them near us!" he drew his beam rifle and took up position beside the Aegis as Mu's Moebius Zero approached with blinding speed. He easily dodged a long range effort from the Buster Gundam and detached the four wired gun barrels shortly after.

Nicol tried to intercept the mobile armor, but was soon stopped from doing so by Tolle in his GINN HM. The Blitz had an advantage due to its phase shift armor and mirage colloid, but the GINN HM was blessed with speed and agility. Tolle took advantage of the GINN's impressive movements and the element of surprise to force Nicol on the defensive. While the GINN HM was only equipped with an assault rifle, it had a longer operational time compared to the G-Weapons. With their previous battle against the Archangel and the Strike, the stolen machines were running low on power as well. Forced to use their beam weapons sparingly, Tolle was given a much easier time as he tried to leave Mu free of any obstruction.

"You're not having your way!" Yzak moved out to fend off Mu but was surprised with his speed. The Moebius Zero and its gun barrels seemed to be everywhere as Yzak struggled to keep up with their movements. Seeing a gap in Yzak's defense, Mu fired his linear cannon and sent the Duel some distance back. He then fired his remaining weapons on the Aegis.

The phase shift armor prevents damage from physical attacks, but it could do nothing against the impulse brought about by the projectile slamming into the Aegis' armor. Athrun could not hold the Aegis steady and was forced to release his hold on the Strike. The amount of power left also meant that Athrun could not afford to allow Mu to continually fire on him. Even the phase shift armor would eventually give way if fired upon constantly.

"Get back to the _Archangel _now!" Mu ordered as he swerved hard to avoid a pair of beams from the Buster, "They are going to send you something!"

"Lieutenant La Flaga!" Kira looked back at the Aegis and hesitated, but he turned back and headed straight for the _Archangel_. Right now, the only thing that could work was the Strike's thrusters. None of its weapons or armor could work.

"We still have a Laurasia-class behind! Hurry up and rejoin the battle!" Mu had the fright of his life as a shot from the Aegis missed his mobile armor by millimeters. He detached the gun barrels again and tried to surround the Aegis, but Athrun proved to be more than a match as he dodged whatever Mu sent at him. Luckily for Mu, none of Athrun's attacks worked as well.

"That idiot!" The sight of Kira escaping only escalated Yzak's anger, "Nicol, Dearka, hold off that GINN look-a-like! I will deal with Kira Yamato!"

Tolle turned the GINN HM's head to see Yzak chasing furiously after Kira. He floored the thrusters to prevent Yzak from doing so but a trio of shots from the Buster forced him to back off.

"What the hell?" Tolle got an even bigger surprise when the Blitz deactivated its mirage colloid right in front of him. He barely managed to get away from the Blitz's beam saber as he pelted dozens of bullets on the enemy's armor, which had no effect as expected.

With the GINN HM occupied by the Blitz, Dearka saw his chance and took aim with his combined guns. Firing a salvo of missiles first, he attempted to catch the GINN HM unaware with a follow up beam shot.

"Ha! Is that the best you can do? I've dodged better attempts in a Rhino Freighter!" Making full use of the GINN HM's agility, Tolle deftly pulled the suit away from the barrage of missiles before making a sudden acceleration upwards, causing Dearka's subsequent beam shot to miss completely.

"You're still not getting away!" The enemy might have been unharmed, but Nicol was determined not to let Tolle interfere with Yzak. He used the Blitz's body to block the GINN HM's path, fully aware that its assault rifle had no way of penetrating the phase shift armor as long as he had power.

Meanwhile, Mu was having a hard time against the Aegis. His mobile armor was outmatched in virtually all departments – speed, armor, and firepower. The only factor that kept Mu in the battle was the wired gun barrels and his exceptional dog-fighting skills.

"So this is the famed Hawk of Endymion?" Athrun transformed the Aegis into its mobile armor mode and fired the "Scylla" energy cannon. Mu veered to his left and dodged it.

Constantly circling around their prey, the wired gun barrels were a bane to Athrun. Firing the gun barrels in pairs, Mu ensured that Athrun was kept busy trying to dodge his shots and thus be unable to attack in any way. Mu's sharp shooting skills also allowed him to score a couple of hits against the Aegis. Though they could not penetrate the Aegis' armor or shield, they were forceful enough to disorientate him.

"Damn! I have to take out one of those barrels!" Targeting a barrel directly at his front, Athrun fired a shot from his beam rifle and destroyed it, "You must be foolish enough to think that a frontal attack will work on me!"

Mu smiled as the destroyed gun barrel resulted in a good amount of debris and smoke to form. Unknown to Athrun, Mu had one of his gun barrels hide behind the one that was destroyed earlier. With the smoke covering its presence, Mu fired a surprise shot at the Aegis.

"What? There's another one behind?" It was too late by the time Athrun realized it as a couple of shots emerged from behind the shot and took out his beam rifle.

"You're still a couple years too early to take me on!" Mu proclaimed as he made another run at the Aegis. It was only a matter of time before the Aegis' power would run out like the Strike and that was when Mu would gain the upper hand.

_**Archangel **_**Bridge, Sector 3C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"The Duel is closing in on the Strike, fast!" Romero chanted out as another barrage from the _Archangel's_ "Helldart" missiles and "Valiant" linear cannons missed their target.

"Don't let the Duel any closer!" Natarle issued for another round of attacks on the fast advancing Duel Gundam.

Juni, on the other hand, was trying hard to have Kira align himself with the _Archangel's_ linear catapult. Perfect alignment was needed for the Launcher Striker to successfully attach to the Strike in mid flight.

Murrue picked up a receiver and contacted the hanger, "Petty Officer Murdoch, are you ready?"

"Any time!" Murdoch shouted at a few of his mechanics before continuing, "But this is crazy. Who the heck will think of such a reckless move?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's a chance we must take!" Murrue already had her hands full with the current battle and she had no time to explain things to Murdoch, "Ensign Badgiruel, I'm counting on you to get the timing right!"

**Edge of Debris Field, Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Kira! We're sending the Launcher Striker now!" Kira finally got the go ahead from Juni and placed the Strike at the designated vector. He jettisoned the Aile Striker and waited as the parts for the Launcher Striker were released from the catapult, praying at the same time that the bold maneuver would somehow work.

"I will not allow it!" Yzak took aim with his beam rifle and locked on to the unprotected rear of the Strike Gundam. Using the grenade launcher that was incorporated into the Duel's beam rifle, Yzak fired off a grenade that homed in for the Strike. He grinned knowing that the aim was spot on. There was no way he could miss.

Kira's heart constricted as the alert went off, informing him of incoming fire. He had no way of knowing if the Launcher Striker would be attached before the grenade hits. A massive explosion was formed as the grenade made contact with the Strike.

"Kira!" Tolle made a dash past the Blitz and Buster as the Strike was engulfed in flames. His hands were shaking with the Strike suffering a direct hit.

"Did I get it?" The previous shot seemed to connect and Yzak was fairly confident that Kira was dead. His assumption was proved wrong seconds later, however, as a powerful blast from the Strike's "Agni" hyper impulse cannon came out from the cloud of smoke and melted the Duel's beam rifle along with the right arm, "What was that?" Yzak could not believe that the Strike was unharmed.

The Strike, now attached with its Launcher Striker, dashed out and fired a quick succession of shots which Yzak managed to dodge. Dearka tried to hold him off but was stopped by Tolle who rammed his suit into the Buster, causing Dearka's shot to go way off.

"Retreat! Yzak, Dearka!" Athrun's voice filled the radio communications, "We can't pursue them any longer."

"What did you say, coward?" Yzak snarled.

"He's right!" Nicol was in agreement with Athrun, "Stay on any longer and we will be the ones running out of power!"

"Argh!!" Yzak let out a mighty roar as he reluctantly left the battlefield, "Kira Yamato… I will get you the next time!"

_**Archangel **_**Bridge, Sector 3C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"The enemy has retreated! The enemy has retreated!" Chandra cried out in relief.

"We made it…" Murrue slumped back on the captain's chair with the battle ending. She was amazed that the _Archangel_ made it through the ordeal without any losses at all.

"Hey! This is no time to relax!" Zeke was quick to remind Murrue that the _Archangel_ was still out in the open.

Murrue seemed a bit embarrassed at being chided by Zeke. "Once the Strike and the two friendly units have been retrieved, the _Archangel_ will set course for Mitchell at full speed!" she quickly issued new orders.

**Hanger, **_**Archangel, **_**Sector 3C, Alaska System, Liberty**

"Kira!" The first thing Tolle did when he got off his GINN HM was to head straight for the Strike. Darting out of his own cockpit, Tolle banged hard on the hatch of the Strike's cockpit, desperate to see if Kira was alright or not.

"Cut it out!" Murdoch wasn't too happy with Tolle's rough actions on the Strike. He was afraid that the state of the art phase shift armor that could easily repel armor penetrating bullets and missiles would be damaged by Tolle banging hard on it with his hands.

The hatch made a hissing sound as it was finally opened. Kira looked completely dazed as he was forcibly pulled out. "Kira! Great to see you again!" Tolle gave Kira a bear hug that nearly squeezed the life out of the exhausted brunet.

"My my, aren't they close?" Mu seemed to be in high spirits as he chatted with Murdoch. The chief mechanic, though, seemed more interested in the Moebius Zero than the pilot himself. Mu looked to his right and spotted a familiar figure approaching him.

"Mu!" Juni ran up to him, "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked with a rather impassive look on her face.

"What's with that face? Can you at least look more thankful? I just saved your life," Mu, as always, found Juni too serious in her attitude.

"This is no time for a joke, Mu," displaying any sense of humor would be a once every ten years occurrence for Juni. She expectedly shrugged off Mu's comments, "Anyway, I'm glad you came. It was starting to look grim out there."

They quickly exchanged information with each other and were busy explaining when a voice interrupted them, "Oh great! The Hawk of Endymion. Another officer from the LSF," Mu looked to his right and saw Zeke looking at him, scowling.

"He doesn't look very happy," Mu whispered to Juni as Zeke stood at the entrance of the hanger.

"You've been cordially invited to the bridge, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the LSF," Zeke wasn't even looking at Mu when he said that. He just leaned against the wall and stared at his still damaged Defender Heavy Fighter.

"Let's go," Juni signaled for Kira and Tolle to follow as well, "I'll like to talk with you right now, but with all the strange happenings within the LSF as well as the navy, I don't feel very safe talking with outsiders around," Juni made sure to let Zeke hear what she just said. Their lack of trust for each other was mutual.

"Hmph…" Zeke ignored Juni and walked up to Murdoch, "Hey, is my ship ready?"

Murdoch was by then busy with the Strike, Moebius Zero and GINN HM. Zeke's Defender was definitely low on the list. Without looking back, Murdoch displayed a "three" on his fingers, "Three days."

"Fine," Zeke walked off and returned to his quarters, still fuming at all that had happened thus far.

**Pilot's Room, **_**Gamow, **_**Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"ATHRUN ZALA!"

Grabbing hole of his rival by the neck of his flight suit, Yzak forcefully slammed Athrun into the wall. Athrun grimaced at the pain but did little to fight back.

"Bastard! Are you out of your mind? If you hadn't acted out of mind back then, Kira Yamato would be dead by now!" Yzak was not holding back one bit and slammed Athrun a second time into the wall.

"You ignored orders and that resulted in a huge blunder," added Dearka who agreed with Yzak.

"What's with the silence? Got nothing to say?" Staring down straight into Athrun's eyes, Yzak waited ever so impatiently for some kind of response.

"Stop it! This isn't the place to do fight among ourselves!" having just entered the room, Nicol was shocked to see the rough treatment dished out on Athrun.

It did not come as a surprise when Yzak snapped, "We went with five machines! Yet we failed! And we lost Miguel in the process! How do you expect me to react? Laugh it off and try again next time?"

"Will taking it out on Athrun change anything?" Nicol reasoned again, raising his voice in a rare occasion.

"Shut the hell up!" Yzak's fist was rolled up to a ball, ready to deliver a punch on anyone who dared annoy him again, "I don't want to hear from some pansy that could not even finish off someone in a freaking light fighter!" Unable to take it anymore, Yzak released his hold on Athrun and left the room in a huff. His long time supporter, Dearka, duly followed.

"Athrun," his downfallen state was out of character and Nicol was rightfully worried, "I won't be able to fully understand how you're feeling. It's not easy to raise your hand against someone you know, but I do feel that this isn't like you. However…"

"I'm sorry," Athrun headed for the door, "Can you please leave me alone for now?"

Nicol wanted to stop Athrun but refrained from doing so after some thought. Athrun might need some time alone after all. He watched silently as Athrun made his way out.

"Kira," Athrun banged his fist against the wall softly, "Why does it have to turn out this way?"

**Bridge, **_**Vesalius, **_**Sector 3C, Alaska System**

"Hmph…" Rau did not look too pleased as he looked at an urgent message sent to him. He took one good look at it and passed it to Ades.

"A summon to appear before the Supreme Council?" Ades was just as surprised as Rau was, "This can't be true. After cornering them so far? Just what is Roman Schnetzler thinking? How can a brat like him make such a decision and still be trusted so heavily by Patrick Zala? He's just a recent addition to the Supreme Council."

Despite his displeasure, Rau had sort of anticipated such a turn of events, "I'll imagine that the unplanned collapse of Juneau has made things a little… complicated. But come to think of it, Patrick Zala might have arranged for this. If we play our cards right, this situation might turn out to be more beneficial then initially thought."

He had never liked politics and Ades naturally had no idea of what Rau was saying. The only thing in his mind was the elimination of the _Archangel_, "But what about that ship? Wouldn't this halt our progress?"

"We'll leave the _Gamow_ here," Rau did not seem overly worried about his recall back to Rheinland, "The _Gamow_ will continue pursuing it."

"Right," the only thing Ades could do now was to agree with Rau.

"Have Athrun return," Rau ordered, "The _Vesalius_ will return to the homeland once repairs are completed."

_**Archangel **_**Bridge, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

"So that's how things are," Murrue nodded in understanding after a long conversation with Mu. She had earlier requested him to meet her in the bridge and Mu had provided quite an amount of important information, albeit in a shocking manner. "This can't be true," Zeke was in a total daze after hearing what Mu had to say.

"That's the way it is, bro," Mu casually slumped onto the chair normally reserved for the ship's executive officer, earning the ire of Natarle obviously.

"Wait a minute, Mu. Are you saying that all these have long been planned? That high ranking personnel in the Navy and the LSF as well as government officials are responsible for all that has happened?" Juni found it hard to swallow, "This is just great!"

"So what do we do now?" Natarle asked while eyeing her occupied seat at the same time.

Murrue turned to Mu, "Any suggestions?"

"We're heading to Mitchell, right?" Mu stood up and requested for a map of the area, much to the delight of Natarle who plopped onto her seat immediately. Murrue nodded and Mu continued, "That's just according to plans. Captain Walker is there as well. We'll meet with the person in charged of Mitchell. He's clean, or at least we think he is."

Murrue looked around and saw that everyone had no qualms in following the original plan, "Alright, we'll proceed as planned. Watch out for any hostile units. We don't want additional action before reaching Mitchell."

"Yes, ma'am," Natarle belted out a series of commands for the CIC as she took no chances. She rested her head against the chair for a second and mumbled to herself, "War? We're going to war?"

"That's right, young lady," Zeke somehow overheard and felt the urge to "teach" the new officer some lessons about the real world, "That's how the world of politics work. Remember this clearly, ensign. There are three essentials a nation cannot live without - H-Fuel, trade and a piece of rock to live on. As long as you lack one of these and some other guy has it, sparks will fly. It's only a matter of when. Come to think of it, we've been rebuilding ever since our forefathers arrived in Sirius 800 years ago. The rebuilding part has been completed. What's left is to consolidate our position among ourselves."

"And we'll gain power by war?" Natarle asked.

Zeke nodded, "Something like that."

"Just get this right," Mu conveniently chipped in, "Liberty may not be technically at war with Rheinland, but we're having a silent one within the shadows. It's only a matter of time before this silent war blows out and turn into an open conflict. The Bloody Valentine can happen again if we're not careful."

"Only a matter of time?" she had previously thought that joining the Navy meant cleaning out the Liberty Rogues and any other criminals that might pester them. But after some brainwashing by Zeke and Mu, she was convinced that something big was about to happen.

"Guys, stop your chit-chat," Juni was ever ready to spoil the party, "Mitchell is just up ahead. We're docking."

The _Archangel_ slowed down as it neared its destination. After a long and arduous journey, the prototype battleship finally arrived. Up ahead was a massive structure, though not as large as Juneau. The prison station itself looked pretty ordinary, save for its size. A square structure with equal sides, the only part that distinguished it apart from other prison stations was a purplish sphere surrounding it. Covering the entire station, the sphere-like hue was actually the lightwave-barrier, also known as the "Umbrella". Once activated, not even the _Archangel's_ impressive arsenal of weapons could inflict a scratch of any kind on it.

After receiving a clearance from Mitchell, the _Archangel_ turned around and aligned itself with one of the docks. A part of the lightwave-barrier opened up and allowed the vessel to pass through unharmed. It then steadily reversed towards the largest dock available on the prison station and parked comfortably. For now, the _Archangel_ was safe.

**Mitchell Prison Station, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

Cutting an imposing figure at more than six feet tall, Rear Admiral Gary Henderson gazed at the air tight hatch ahead of him. The hatch was opened by the station's crew and he walked through it as guided. Walking for a few meters, the narrow pathway led to another door which slid open when he approached. As soon as the Chief of Department of Mitchell Prison Station stepped across, he was greeted by three Navy officers and two LSF officers.

The five of them promptly saluted. Taking the lead, Murrue stepped out since she was the captain, "Thank you, sir. We're extremely grateful that you've granted our request to enter port."

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, am I right?" showing no signs of pride, the fifty year old admiral from the LPI (Liberty Police Inc.) smiled warmly at Murrue. He looked over her and was able to make out Mu and Juni straight away, since an LSF officer's uniform was different to that of the Navy, "Lieutenant Mu La Flaga and Lieutenant Jun'ko Zane, I've been waiting for the both of you. Captain Walker and his two new found friends have reached already. Come, we have little time to waste. There is someone I want you all to meet," Admiral Henderson beckoned the five officers of the _Archangel_ to follow him into the station's interior.

They did accordingly and followed him into the station. The inside of Mitchell was just as you would expect from a typical maximum security prison – unexciting with a leak proof security. By the time they entered a restricted zone specially reserved for the station's senior officers, Natarle had already lost count on the number of armed guards she had seen.

"This way, please," Admiral Henderson invited his guests to enter a room at the end of the corridor. It was similarly guarded by two armed guards standing at both sides of the entrance.

"Pardon me for asking, sir," Murrue took up the courage just as she was about to enter, "But who are we meeting?"

He smiled, "We're meeting the very man who initiated Liberty's G-Weapons project, as well as two very special people."

"The man who started the G-Weapons project?" shock was etched on Murrue's face, "Isn't he…"

"… dead?" Admiral Henderson cut her off, "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Murrue nodded and pushed open the door. She gasped as a familiar face she thought was long gone popped up, "It can't be… Admiral Halberton… you're alive?"

_**End of Chapter 10**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

* * *

_**Despite being captured by the Aegis, Kira was somehow able to escape and return to the Archangel safely due to the combined efforts of Mu and Tolle. While it came after much difficulty, the Archangel finally arrived at her destination. How will their time in the prison station turn out? And what is it about Admiral Halberton being alive that shocked Murrue?**_

_**Here's another chapter for you. I'm not very sure about the second half of the chapter, especially the conversations. I do hope I conveyed them well enough. I would appreciate if I receive some constructive criticism on this chapter.**_

_**One last thing. My university examination is coming, so I will probably not post a new chapter until the end of April. Sorry about this.**_

_**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!**_


	14. Ch 11: True Intentions

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 11: True Intentions**

* * *

_--Time for a new Chancellor?--_

_Even as it's once powerful economy tries to pick itself up after the end of the Eighty Years War almost a decade ago, Rheinland is now bracing herself for yet another change. With Chancellor Siegel Clyne's term about to end, there has been much speculation over who would take over as the new Chancellor. While Chancellor Clyne has managed to stabilize Rheinland's political relationship with most external factions, his reconciliatory style has not gone well with the public. His supporters argued that Rheinland's economy has picked up considerably since he took office five years ago, but detractors claimed that his soft style has allowed the other Houses to take advantage and ride over their head. Despite the painful lessons learnt from the Eighty Years War with the GMG, Rheinland's general public still prefers a more forceful leader, a trait common in many of Rheinland's past Chancellors._

* * *

**Mitchell Prison Station, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

Apart from an oval table lined by several leather chairs, the room was largely unfurnished. Pots of plants standing against the wall were perhaps the only other decorations in the brightly lit room. Seated right at one end of the table was Lewis Halberton, a former Admiral of the Liberty Navy who was presumed dead by many. At the right of him were Gary Henderson and Marcus Walker. Flanking his left were Hanse Marian and Lezzy Mira. The new arrivals from the _Archangel_ wasted no time in settling themselves down. Murrue, however, was still in a state of shock. She had personally known Admiral Halberton, the latter being the ex-superior and mentor to the former.

"Admiral Halberton…" Murrue was at a loss for words as Lewis Halberton, healthy as always with a cup of coffee in his hands, sat comfortably in front of her, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Admiral Halberton shook his head, "Contrary to what you have been led to believe, the transport shuttle I was in wasn't attacked by a group of Outcasts fighters while on its way to Curacao. The transport certainly wasn't destroyed and the Outcasts did not assassinate me."

"It can't be," Zeke was similarly startled to see him alive, but to a smaller degree as compared to Murrue, "Why were you listed as being assassinated then?"

"It can't be helped. I was a threat to a certain party and was at the top of their hit list," Admiral Halberton gently placed his cup of coffee on the table, "They had me transferred here to get rid of me and fabricated the assassination you all thought was true."

"I can't believe it," next to voice her disbelief was Juni, "The news was even confirmed by LSF investigators. How could they not have spotted any discrepancies in that incident?"

"It's not that they failed to see. They just chose not to," fiddling with a pen while making his presence known with his sudden input, Hanse Marian drew quite a few eyes, especially from the _Archangel_ crew.

Juni did not seem too pleased with a non-military personnel whom she had no knowledge of speaking as he wished, "May I have the honor of hearing your name?" she asked with a touch of irritation.

"This gentleman," Admiral Halberton decided to do the introduction himself, "is Hanse Marian. He is one of the three generals working under the direct orders of Orillion, better known as the leader of The Order."

"Oh great! The Order!" Zeke's response probably summed up how the rest felt when Hanse's true identity was revealed. The following commotion was understandable as the _Archangel_ crew were not too comfortable to have an important figure of The Order in their midst.

"Admiral! What's the meaning of this?" Juni was shell shocked at Hanse's presence, "Why is someone from The Order here?"

Their presence was a touchy subject and Lezzy wasn't too pleased at the somewhat negative reaction, "We would explain if the noise level goes down," it did not take long for her request to materialize, though, as an authoritative glare from Admiral Halberton effectively shot down all dissent.

Silence permeated the room for a few seconds as Admiral Halberton prepared to speak. The soft hum of the air conditioner seemed unusually loud as everyone waited for him to speak. Even the previously laidback Hanse stopped fiddling with his pen as everyone waited.

Halberton leaned forward and let out a breath of air. He had half expected the reaction he had just seen, "It all started when Rheinland created the first ever mobile suit, the ZGMF-1017 GINN, a piece of machine that was and still is a technological marvel. I don't think I need to tell you how superior mobile suits are compared to conventional fighters. The other Houses naturally scrambled to try to replicate this technology, and Liberty was one of them. I was the one who pushed for the development of the G-Weapons as I saw little potential for the ongoing mobile armor project which could only be used effectively by a select few. That was when the trouble began."

Admiral Halberton took a sideward glance at Henderson who promptly switched on an overhead projector. Flashed on the screen was the picture of a young man who appeared to be in his twenties, with delicate features and dark hair that ran beyond his shoulders.

"Does anyone of you recognize him?" Gary Henderson asked. He got no response and proceeded to explain, "This young gentleman is Rondo Ghina Sahaku, the head of the Sahaku family of the Zoners. It may not be publically known, but the Sahakus are one of the few noble families that exist within the Zoners, and their vast fortunes will put most in Liberty to shame. It was through him that the Liberty Navy managed to ink a secret deal to develop the G-Weapons. We then worked with Morgenroete, a military contractor based on most of the Freeports, to conduct research on mobile suit technology."

"Well, it sure is secret enough," Juni commented with an obvious touch of sarcasm, "So secret that even the LSF is unaware of such an arrangement."

"We had a reason for doing so, Lieutenant Zane," Halberton made sure to clear things up quickly, "The secrecy was a direct order from none other than President Jacobi. It was needed to prevent any sort of interference as the research of mobile suit technology is extremely competitive. Besides, there was this one incident that forced us to resort to such secrecy."

_(Note: The president of Liberty is a lady by the name of Barbara Jacobi)_

"And what is that, sir?" Mu asked.

"Rheinland," Halberton answered, "No sooner had we reached an agreement with the Sahakus, Rheinland agents began appearing for no reason at Freeport 7, one of the sites for research, the other being Juneau. As the G-Weapons Project was still at its infancy then, only the most important personnel knew of it. The uncalled presence of the Rheinland agents in Freeport 7 was a clear indication that there was somehow a leak from within our ranks as they were asking the Zoners about us. We decided that confidentiality was of upmost importance and thus only allowed a select few to know of its existence."

"But for all due respect sir," Walker had his own doubts as well, "are the G-Weapons absolutely necessary? We're not in any kind of war or conflict. Is there a need to go so far?"

"There is," Halberton replied firmly, "Everything might seem peaceful on the outside, but Liberty's relationship with the other Houses cannot exactly be described as amicable. There has always been an unseen war going on between the Houses, each trying to gain more resources or even take away what the others have. Rheinland's conflict with the GMG just happened to be the only one that truly escalated into a full scale war; for the time being. Right now, Kusari can go to war with the Rheinlanders any moment due to the disputed Sigma systems. Liberty can have a full scale conflict with Rheinland as well; due to the independent systems of Hudson and Bering, the Bloody Valentine, as well as unhappiness at the control Liberty firms have over Rheinland trade."

"Looks like the world isn't as rosy as we think," Zeke could only lament at his bad luck. Everything just had to happen during his lifetime.

"If you would allow me to speak, sir," Juni waited for Admiral Halberton to give her to permission before speaking, "I do understand the reasons for developing the G-Weapons, but I'm still puzzled at a few things. You said that Freeport 7 was a site for research. Given what happened at Juneau, can we say that Rheinland was somewhat involved in Freeport 7's destruction? And I will also like to point out that I was attacked by one of the G-Weapons in California. Care to explain how it ended up in Rheinland's hands?"

"I guess there's no need to hide it even further," Murrue sighed deeply as the truth was pretty hard to bear, "Freeport 7's destruction wasn't done by The Order. It was the responsibility of the same group of Rheinlanders who attacked Juneau. We just conveniently pushed the blame to The Order as the higher ups refused to announce to the world that they had been bested by Rheinland. Besides, Liberty does not like to publicize her failures."

"Unbelievable, our country, that is," Mu shook his head in disappointment. He then turned to Hanse, "One question. Was Admiral Schultzky's assassination done by you guys?"

"Yes, it was us," not a hint of remorse was on his face as Hanse proudly claimed responsibility for the assassination.

"We'll talk about that later," Halberton directed their attention back to the main topic, "If you would explain, please," he asked of Rear Admiral Henderson.

The Chief of Mitchell nodded and stood up, "Wary that there could be Rheinland spies working in vital Liberty positions, Admiral Halberton contacted several of his close aids, me being one of them. Together with several others working in the LSF and the government, we tried to expose the traitor. There was little results until one month ago when we discovered that someone was deliberately giving patrol routes and timings to Cardarmine smugglers. After further investigations, we realized to our surprise that this mole was working for the very person who leaked out information of the G-Weapons to Rheinland. It was also the reason why Lieutenant Jun'ko Zane was assigned by Rear Admiral Cooper of the LSF to expose this traitor."

"Are you serious?" Juni widened her eyes in shock when she realized how much significance her mission bore, "What about Admiral Cooper? Is he alright?"

Halberton's head lowered as a feeling of guilt and sadness rushed in, "I'm sorry, Juni, but Admiral Cooper is no more. The enemy acted before us and got rid of those he felt were a threat. That's why a huge number of key Navy and LSF personnel simply disappeared overnight. I believe you were attacked in California for exactly the same reasons."

"But you're alive," Mu had every reason to suspect Halberton considering the circumstances they were in.

Despite being doubted a little, Halberton was in no way offended, "You could say that lady luck was smiling upon me. I was saved by General Marian and I had him transport me here."

"Fine, how about telling us the name of that traitor?" burning with anger, Zeke was all ready to curse whoever the traitor was down to his hundredth generation.

"Murata Azrael, Director of Internal Security of the LSF," everyone was struck aghast as Admiral Halberton revealed the traitor's true identity.

"You must be joking," the idea of Azrael working as a spy for Rheinland was something Mu had never expected. Echoing his sentiments was Juni who was devastated that the traitor was someone of such high standing.

"Then shouldn't we just expose him?" Zeke was done with his cursing and was eager to exact punishment on Azrael.

"We would, if we could," Halberton explained, "The Navy and LSF are virtually under Azrael's control, and we're both being hunted down by him. We can't exactly roam in the open expecting nothing to happen to us. Sending General Hanse is not an option as well. No one is going to believe someone from The Order."

It was then that Juni remembered a question she had been itching to ask, "Speaking of The Order. In what way are this bunch of terrorists involved in this whole mess?"

"Contrary to what you have been led to believe, we're not responsible for even a tenth of the so-called terrorist acts that have been accredited to us," Hanse leapt to his defense as everyone except for the two senior officers waited for am answer. Even Mu and Walker, whose lives he saved, were not so sure about his intentions.

"He's telling the truth," Admiral Henderson spoke up as well, "Many of the crimes supposedly committed by them were untrue. As in the case of Freeport 7, enforcement agencies from all over Sirius tend to push the blame to The Order whenever there is a unsolvable crime or when there is a need to cover someone's back."

"The Order was formed for one reason only," Hanse added, speaking with an extremely serious tone this time round, "That is to expose the group of Rheinland spies working throughout the Sirius Sector. For a long time after Rheinland's defeat to the GMG, a group of individuals had been trying to regain their previous prosperity through underhand methods. This espionage campaign had been going on for ten decades now; even the current Chancellor, Siegal Clyne, has no knowledge of it."

"Then who is responsible?" Murrue asked.

"Our sources indicate that Patrick Zala is most probably an important figure," Hanse answered.

"Patrick Zala?" Juni stood up at the mention of his name, "The Chairman of Rheinland's National Defense Committee?"

"You've got it right," Halberton nodded, "Though it's only a guess for now. He's probably not the only one involved in this whole mess."

"So what? Are we supposed to work with The Order now?" Zeke still wasn't too receptive of the idea of working with The Order.

"Sort of," Lezzy responded rather impassively which irritated Zeke a lot.

"Anyway, our top priority now is to finish repairs and replenishment for both the _Archangel_ and _Endymion_. The _Archangel_ and Strike must never fall into the hands of Rheinland. Azrael's plans must not succeed!" Halberton proceeded to show a map of the system.

"Once repairs are done, we will try to break through the enemy blockade. There is currently one Laurasia-class and Admiral Garcia's entire fleet waiting for us. We will try to evade them and escape to the Texas System through a jump hole even the Liberty Navy is unaware of and head for Battleship _Missouri_ in New York. Hopefully, there is still someone in the Navy who is not under the control of Azrael. If possible, we must let President Jacobi know of this fallacy before the rot spreads," Admiral Henderson explained their battle plans.

"What if the entire Navy is corrupt?" Murrue wasn't confident as Azrael's influence was probably widespread.

"Then we'll escape," Hanse stood up, "There are a couple of jump holes in Texas and New York that even Liberty have no knowledge of. These will be the key to our safety."

Halberton looked around, "Everyone agreeable?"

Everyone hesitated for a moment, but a unanimous decision was soon reached, "We're for it!" they chorused.

* * *

**Oder Shipyard, Sector F5, New Berlin System, Rheinland**

* * *

Having left the repairs of the _Vesalius_ in Ades' hands, Rau disembarked and headed for a transport shuttle docked with the shipyard. Accompanying him was Athrun Zala; he was also required to give a report to the Supreme Council later. The door to the shuttle slid open and they went in.

Rau saluted a grayed hair man the moment he entered, "We will be accompanying you, Your Excellency, National Defense Committee Chairman Zala."

Not expecting to see anyone else in that shuttle, Athrun was visibly surprised at the unexpected passenger. He offered a salute after recovering from the surprise.

Patrick Zala motioned for Rau and Athrun to take their seats, "There's no need for formalities. You never saw me on this shuttle. Got that, Athrun?"

"I understand, Father. Long time no see," despite having not seen his father for months, Athrun did not feel ecstatic to see him. There was somehow a touch of uneasiness churning within him.

Patrick Zala wasted no time as he jumped straight into the main topic, "I've looked over your report and totally agree with your opinion," he said to Rau, "The problem is the fact that they have managed to develop such advanced mobile suits. We'll ignore the existence of Kira Yamato for now. I went ahead and deleted that part of the report."

The mention of Kira grabbed Athrun's attention. While he was previously not interested in the conversation, Athrun was now listening attentively.

"Thank you very much," Rau was pleased that the deletion was done. It made things much easier to handle, "I was confident that you would make that decision."

"Can you imagine how they will react if we tell them that the one machine we left behind was actually piloted by one of those we acquired from Mendel? It would only give the moderate faction something unnecessary to argue about," Patrick was certainly planning one step ahead. He was not going to allow his goal to be stopped by any random event.

Rau sensed that Athrun was feeling uncomfortable about the ongoing conversation and quickly moved to allay his fears, "We're doing this for his good, Athrun. Surely you wouldn't want him to be publically branded as a traitor, would you?"

"Uh… no… but…"

Patrick was not going to allow his only son to be fickle minded at such an important juncture of his plans, "Liberty has successfully created a workable mobile suit that outperforms the GINN. That's the only thing we're reporting. Got that, Athrun?"

"Yes," Athrun had no choice but to submit to his father's authority.

Patrick was satisfied with his son's response for now. He turned to Rau, "We must be more serious from now on. We must finish everything as quickly as possible."

* * *

_**Archangel **_**Bridge**_**, **_**Mitchell Prison Station, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Pssk… what's that?" Tolle peeked over Romero's shoulder to see him holding on to three slips of paper.

Romero was a little irritated that he was being "spied" on and said nothing. He quickly shoved the slips into his pockets, but "quick hands" Tolle snatched them away before he could do so.

"Awesome!" Tolle's eyes were filled with envy, "You've got her concert tickets? How did you get them? I once queued two days for her concert at New London and got nothing!"

"Give them back to me!" Romero pushed the tickets into his pockets and looked at the monitor dejectedly, "My little boy loves her. I was so happy when I got the tickets, but now, I won't be able to bring him out on his birthday. I'm stuck here, in Alaska!"

"What's that concert about?" Neumann was eavesdropping on their conversation and was a little curious.

"Are you kidding? You don't know about it?" Tolle looked like Neumann had just said something unpardonable, "Lacus Clyne! She's having a concert on Manhattan tomorrow! How can you not know that everyone's favorite pop princess is coming to Liberty? Even a Bretonian like me knows that!"

"Oh… you mean that Rheinland singer?" Neumann was obviously not well versed to the pop world.

"Yes!" Tolle was totally heartbroken that Neumann was not familiar with his beloved pop princess, "Who do you expect? Jun'ko Zane the "glum face"? Or Miss "By the book" Natarle Badgiruel?" In his short stay in the _Archangel_, Tolle had amazingly added Natarle to his "enemies" list. He was so indulged in making fun of the stoic Natarle that he failed to notice someone entering the bridge.

"Eh…" Neumann did not utter a single word as he pointed at Tolle's rear.

"What?" Tolle had no idea that Natarle had just entered the bridge and was standing right behind him. The executive officer was fuming at Tolle's words. By the time he realized her presence, it was too late, "Oh crap…"

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? GET BACK TO WORK!"

* * *

**Supreme Council, Planet New Berlin, Sector F5, New Berlin System**

* * *

"… I believe you can understand from the course of events you just saw that our actions were not intended as an attack on Freeport 7 and Juneau. The biggest reason for their collapse lies with Liberty. That concludes my report," Rau saluted and returned back to his seat.

"I can't believe it. Even the Zoners were involved?" one of the council members was furious at the turn of events.

"Isn't this clear? Liberty wants to wage a war against us!" a council member siding with Patrick Zala shouted out in rage.

"Weren't we the ones who attacked first? We must be thankful that the public knows nothing about our involvement yet," Eileen Canaver, considered a moderate, was not pleased with the previous remark.

Patrick Zala knew he had to act fast or the moderates would have their way, "However, Commander Le Creuset, are Liberty's new mobile suits really valuable enough to account for all the sacrifices made to get them?"

Rau stood up and did as Patrick had earlier instructed him, "To explain their marvelous abilities to you, I have with me one of the pilots who has not only the experience of piloting one of these machines, but has also battled with the only machine we failed to get. I request to have Athrun Zala report on this."

Siegel Clyne thought hard as he pondered on whether to allow Athrun to make a report. The recent incidents had made him weary of Patrick's actions despite the fact that they were once the best of friends. There was always a chance that Athrun, being Patrick's son, was in cahoots with his father. He hesitated but eventually gave Athrun to go ahead.

Footages of the Aegis Gundam in action as well as its data were shown to the council members as Athrun made his report. From the capabilities of the Aegis to that of the Strike, Athrun left out no details. Gasps were constantly heard as the council members realized how advanced the G-Weapons were compared to the GINN.

The council members were appalled at the amount of firepower made available to the G-Weapons. "They've created such terrible things! Damn Liberty!" one of them said shaking in anger.

Eileen Canaver was getting worried; many in the council were getting heated up. She quickly tried to downplay the potency of the G-Weapons, "But they're still prototypes, right? You can hardly consider a mere five mobile suits a serious threat."

"If they've come this far, the next logical step would be to mass produce! We can't afford to wait for that to happen!" Ezalia Joule was adamant that tough actions were needed.

"Liberty's intentions are clear! They're definitely making the first move to start a war! With Kusari waiting at our door steps to destroy us, what are we waiting for?" another council member made it clear that he supported a more aggressive policy.

"Silence!" Chancellor Clyne knew that something drastic was needed to appease their anger, "Silence! Council members! Have we not learnt our lessons in the Eighty Years War? Is there a need to repeat our past mistakes?"

Patrick made eye contact with Roman Schnetzler, who had remained silent for the session. Nodding his head, Roman urged Patrick to deliver his final speech. Patrick stood up and made his final move, "Nobody longs for war. Who among us actually wants to head out to the battlefield? Everyone's wish is to live happily and peacefully. But who has ruthlessly shattered our dreams? Who was it that secretly aided the GMG during the last war? Was it not Kusari? And was it not Liberty who took advantage of our ailing economy after the last war? Who took our belongings and exploited us to the fullest? Our freedom and ambitions for their convenience?"

_Patrick… you have changed much since that last incident. _Chancellor Clyne shook his head as Patrick continued, "Last but not least," he said, "how can we ever forget about the Bloody Valentine? The tragedy of Junius Seven! 243,721 people all lost to that abominable incident! Yet we racked our brains to try to settle things peacefully by making minimal demands. Have they ever tried to deal with us peacefully? Everything looks alright on the outside, but we know that all these are just fabricated lies! Liberty, Kusari, the GMG, maybe even Bretonia. They're all trying to exploit us, putting our efforts to waste time and time again! We will fight to protect ourselves. If we cannot protect without fighting, then we have no choice but to fight back!"

As soon as Patrick finished his piece, Roman stood up in support of his ally, "I second Zala's notion to fight back. It's time Rheinland emerge from the shadows and show her might!"

Sounds of approval came from the majority of the council members as Patrick sat down. He smiled as his plan was starting to looks possible. Siegel could only sigh in dismay as he could do nothing about the majority vote. If things escalate, the Eighty Years War may well look like child's play.

* * *

_**Gamow, **_**Some distance from Mitchell, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

Yzak was close to losing his temper. Miguel's death, coupled with his failure to kill Kira, was tormenting him from the inside. Guilt ridden for having sliced Miguel's GINN with his own beam saber, Yzak found the recent inactivity unacceptable. The only thing that could calm him down was Kira's head.

"The Umbrella doesn't allow any lasers or projectiles past it, although the opposite is also true," Captain Zelman said as he analyzed the enemy base along with Yzak, Deaka and Nicol.

"In other words, they won't be attacking us," Dearka found the defensive system too extreme for his liking, "What a ridiculous system. They hole themselves up somewhere but can't even fire a single shot at us."

"But it's a first class defensive system," Nicol added his own piece of information, "While my mirage colloid allows me to approach it without being detected, I was unable to find any weakness in the defense. The only way to overcome it is through an inside job."

"Looks like we'll have to wait and do nothing," Dearka snickered.

"This is no laughing matter, Dearka! When the Commander returns, do you want to report that we did nothing?" Yzak was practically screaming into his friend's ears, "That would be a total disgrace!"

Nicol bit his lips as he thought hard, "But what if we can find a way to make them bring down that shield?"

"What do you mean, Nicol?" with the situation in a stalemate, Zelman was open to any ideas that might be brought up.

With Zelman's approval, Nicol stood out to explain his take on the situation, "That shield can't possibly last forever. It doesn't matter how secretive that prison station is; any facility run by a government organization must follow a set of standard procedures. By the looks of it, the lightwave-barrier probably requires quite an amount of energy to power it. They can't possibly leave it running 24-7. If my guess is correct, our presence is the reason why that shield was brought up in the first place. If we can just trick them into feeling a false sense of security…"

"… there's a slight chance they might switch that thing off," cutting into Nicol's sentence, Yzak was starting to get the idea.

"Does that mean that the _Gamow _has to leave the area?" Dearka asked.

"Not just leave the area," Yzak corrected, "We have to completely disappear; make them think that we've given up."

"But what's the use? They will just bring the barrier up the moment we approach again," Dearka still could not grasp Nicol's true intentions.

"My machine has the mirage colloid, remember? I can infiltrate the base without being detected. I will destroy the generators that power the lightwave-barrier and you guys can swop in on the enemy," Nicol explained further as Dearka nodded in understanding.

"Fine," Zelman felt that it was the only option left, "We shall follow Nicol's plan. It's risky, but this plan is all we've got."

"Hmph… you better don't screw up, like that other time," Yzak sneered and left the bridge.

Deep inside him, Nicol swore that he would prove himself as Dearka left as well. _Just you watch. I will definitely pull this off._

* * *

**Supreme Council, Planet New Berlin, Sector F5, New Berlin System**

* * *

Athrun heaved a sigh of relief as the council session finally ended. Standing by the door as the council members left, Athrun waited for the council members to leave first. He did so as he had to show respect to them.

Among the first to leave, Roman Schnetzler walked past Athrun and commended the young ace with a low voice, "Good job so far, Athrun Zala." He patted the bewildered pilot on his back and left quietly.

"Athrun!" still thinking about Roman's words, Athrun's train of thought was broken by Chancellor Clyne. Athrun wasted no time in greeting him formally, "Chancellor Clyne," he greeted with a salute.

Siegel smiled, "You know there's no need to stand on ceremony with me."

"Well… I…" Athrun was a little embarrassed at how well he was treated.

"Now that you've finally returned, Lacus is away on a tour. I wonder when the both of you will be free to see each other," Siegel was certainly concerned at how hectic Athrun's schedule was. He's Lacus' fiancé, after all.

"Well, I'm sorry, sir," Athrun felt guilty as well for being not able to spend more time with Lacus.

The Chancellor laughed at his future son-in-law's apology, "There's no need to apologize to me. It's partly the adults' fault that your schedule is so hectic as well."

Walking further down, Siegel had a worried expression on his face, "Although I can understand your father's comments, I wonder if…"

"Athrun Zala!" Rau's voice cut the Chancellor off, "We're going after that newly made ship and mobile suit. We're leaving in 72 hours!"

"Yes, sir!" not an order he wanted, but Athrun could not disobey his commander.

"Excuse us, Your Excellency Chancellor Clyne," Rau motioned for Athrun to follow him.

Siegel watched Athrun left as Patrick Zala stood beside him, "What good will this war bring us?" he asked.

"Those who get in our way," Patrick replied firmly, "We will not forgive them." With that, he walked off, leaving Siegel alone to think of his words.

_**End of Chapter 11**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

* * *

**_Whew... exams are finally over. Sorry for the delay._**

_**Patrick Zala's intentions have been revealed as he pushed for Rheinland to adopt an aggressive stance. Even the Chancellor had no power as Patrick, with the help of Roman Schnetzler, managed to garner enough support to topple Siegel's opinions. How will all these affect Admiral Halberton's attempt to expose the Rheinland spies working in Liberty? Will the Archangel successfully escape from Alaska?**_

_**I'm sorry if there is not one bit of action in this chapter. I decided to use this chapter solely for the purpose of developing the plot. I do hope that I actually conveyed my idea across in a clear way. Hopefully, you all will find this chapter satisfying. I also hope that you don't mind the "mindless" chatter by the Archangel crew midway in the chapter. I just have to let you know that Lacus exists in my story; she just hasn't appeared yet.**_

_**Lastly, please know that I have created a jump hole from Alaska to the Texas System. It did not exist in the original Freelancer game, but I had it there due to the story.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	15. Ch 12: Breakout

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 12: Breakout**

* * *

_--Junius Seven Tragedy--_

_When the Daumann space colony Junius Seven was built in the__ Hudson __System at the middle of AS 797, it was met with mixed reactions from two sides. Liberty authorities were expectedly enraged that the colony, which was used primarily for agricultural research, was placed in the hotly contested system. They viewed the colony as Rheinland's attempt to claim the system for itself. Rheinlanders, on the other hand, viewed the technological marvel as the pride of their nation. Not long after its completion in AS 799, Liberty forces clashed with Rheinland forces due to the colony's presence, marking the start of a brief war. Lasting just eleven days, the conflict ended with a high price as a nuclear warhead fired from a Liberty fighter slammed into Junius Seven and destroyed the colony. The lost of more than 200,000 lives was mourned for months. Widely known as the "Bloody Valentine", the loss of Junius Seven marked the end of the brief conflict as the two Houses made peace soon after under the leadership of Chancellor Siegel Clyne. The tragedy, however, was not easily forgotten as many Rheinlanders still harbor hatred toward Liberty up to this day._

* * *

_**Vesalius, **_**New York Jump Gate, Sector 6C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Thank you for the escort, Admiral Sutherland," Ades was relieved that the journey into Alaska went without a hitch. Sneaking through New York undetected in a fully armed Nazca-class battleship was certainly no walk in the park.

"My pleasure," the escort's reply was short and the transmission was cut off. Within seconds, the pair of Nelson-class battleships that had accompanied them throughout the journey was out of sights as they entered the jump gate to New York.

"There is no time to waste," Rau had a look at the time and issued his orders without delay, "Meet up with the _Gamow_."

Ades nodded and did accordingly, "Give full power to the engines! Set course for the _Gamow_!"

* * *

**Living Quarters, **_**Archangel, **_**Mitchell Prison Station, Alaska System**

* * *

"We had quite a time, didn't we?"

"Sort of…"

Kira wasn't exactly sure if the roller coaster ride he had unwillingly experienced was "quite the time", but he was sure of one thing, though. The youngster plopped his head into the pillow as his body was aching after a hard day of work in the hanger, though the aching would probably disappear without a trace after a couple of hours. Murdoch's constant "YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN MACHINE!" effectively sapped half of his energy, and he had _never_ once considered the Strike to be his.

"Any idea what will happen next?" already changed into a comfortable T-shirt and shorts, Tolle jumped onto the bed and groaned as he realized for the hundredth time that the _Archangel_ did not exactly have the softest beds in Sirius.

For Kira, the answer was obvious, "Protect the _Archangel_? It's like… our home for now. We'll be done for if this ship goes down."

"Yeah… I know that. What I meant was what to do after this whole thing is over," Tolle promptly re-phrased his question.

Kira slipped under the blanket as he gave a definite answer, "Leeds. We're going back to Leeds."

Tolle smiled. He was thinking in the same line as Kira, "I like your idea. After we escape from this wretched system, we'll head straight home. Tobias will probably spend half a day nagging at us after hearing our story."

"Don't remind me," fatigue setting in, Kira soon drifted off into a deep sleep. It would prove to be a well timed rest. There would be little time to do so once they head out of Mitchell.

* * *

**Chief of Department Office, Mitchell Prison Station, Alaska System**

* * *

"The enemy has left?" bewilderment was the choice word to describe Mu's reaction when he heard that the _Gamow_ had left. His past clashes with Rau had taught him that every battle with the cunning Rheinland commander was not to be taken lightly. Retreating meekly was not what Mu had expected Rau to pull off.

"You heard it right, Lieutenant La Flaga," Henderson nodded, "The Laurasia-class has left the vicinity and is out of our radar range. It looks like they have finally given up."

"Well, that's good news, right? Why do you look like the world is coming to an end?" Zeke was puzzled by Mu's shocked expression, and rightfully so. The enemy's withdrawal would only make their bid to escape Alaska simpler, yet Mu's reaction seemed to show otherwise.

"Do you have any idea who their commanding officer is?" Mu held his hands up in exasperation as Zeke shook his head.

"Do you know him?" Murrue asked.

"Boy, do I know him," Mu's eyes twitched at the thought of his nemesis, "Rau Le Creuset, that's his name. I've met him in actual combat couple of times in the Hudson War. My entire Moebius Zero squad was singlehandedly wiped out by him. I was the only one who survived."

The mention of that got everyone in the room startled. Not one of them had a pleasant memory of this enigmatic masked commander from Rheinland. As much as they hated to admit it, it was probably due to Rau's cunning and ruthless battle tactics that Liberty actually considered Chancellor Clyne's peace offering. In truth, Liberty would have lost the brief Hudson War and maybe even more had it not for the peace treaty.

"Are you telling me that Rau Le Creuset is the one in charged of the Rheinland squad that attacked Juneau?" Admiral Halberton cringed at the thought of having to face Rau in battle again, "If that is so, we're in for a tough journey."

"But how can you be so sure that it's him?" Juni was still clinging on to the hope that Mu was wrong. Nobody wanted it to be true.

"I told you, didn't I?" Mu quickly reminded, "I can sense him whenever he's nearby, just like how I can sense him," Mu pointed to Hanse Marian who gave an indifferent look.

"I've heard of it before," Admiral Halberton added, "The few rare individuals who have a heightened sense of spatial awareness and are capable of using it are able to sense those who can use the same ability if they are close enough."

"But it's the fact that the Laurasia-class has withdrawn," Henderson was still optimistic about their chances, "This will give us more breathing space. With the lightwave-barrier deactivated, we can now fully devote the base's resources on repairing and replenishing the _Archangel _and the _Endymion._"

"The barrier was brought down?" Admiral Halberton sounded worried, "Are you sure about that?"

"Don't worry. The enemy isn't anywhere near us. We will re-activate the lightwave-barrier if they are detected again," Henderson understood the need for caution, but was fairly confident that they were not in any immediate danger.

One particular experience, however, had taught Juni not to take things for granted, "Pardon me for speaking up, sir, but I do remember fighting against an enemy that was capable of cloaking itself from human eyes as well as radar. That machine could be sneaking up on us for all we know."

"Cloaking?" surprised at the mention of the Blitz's cloaking ability, Henderson was skeptical, "How can there be such a technology?"

"There can be," a sense of regret could be picked up as Admiral Halberton added weight to Juni's claims, "One of the machines, the GAT-X207 Blitz, is coated with Mirage Colloid particles. It can stay invisible to the human eye as well as computer sensors for up to 80 minutes, and unfortunately, it is in the hands of the enemy."

That was all the information he needed. Mitchell's Chief of Department picked up a receiver as he attempted to order for the re-activation of the lightwave-barrier, "To Mitchell control, this is Admiral Henderson. Activate the…"

The lights flickered as the entire room shook, cutting off any orders that Admiral Henderson wanted to issue. It wasn't forceful enough to cause anyone to lose their footing, but it was all too clear that something undesirable had happened. Mu needed no prompting as he dashed out of the room. Everyone else followed suit as the priority was to eliminate the enemy.

* * *

**Control Room, Mitchell Prison Station, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"What is happening?" Admiral Henderson's voice sounded fuzzy as the controllers tried to connect with him.

"The generators for the lightwave-barrier are damaged," the officer in charged replied, "Activating the lightwave-barrier is no longer possible!"

"What about the enemy? How many are there? Where is it?"

"There is just one! It appeared out of no where!" the officer was panicky as he witnessed the Blitz destroying a hanger just in front of the control room. He froze as the black machine turned and flashed its eyes.

"Control, what the hell is happening? What's with the silence?" Admiral Henderson was getting no input from the officer and feared the worst.

Stricken with fear, the officer could not even react in anyway as the Blitz pointed its beam rifle at the control room. One second later, nothing was left of the room as it was blasted to oblivion. With the control room gone, the entire base defense was effectively crippled.

* * *

_**Archangel **_**Bridge, Mitchell Prison Station, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"What's the status?" Murrue was panting heavily after sprinting all the way to the ship. The same could be said of Natarle as the junior officer tried to catch her breath.

"All systems green. We're ready for launch!" Neumann answered.

"How about the _Endymion_? Is it ready for launch?" having suffered serious damage at Zone 21, Murrue was unsure of the ship's ability to enter combat, especially since they were setting off prematurely.

"It's not at full strength, but the _Endymion_ is at least good enough to move!" Natarle replied, "Besides, it has the _Menelaos _protecting it!"

"That means the _Archangel _is the only one that can fight," the _Endymion's_ condition was worrying, but there was not much of a choice given the situation. Murrue had to focus on the task at hand, "Have Mu, Kira and Tolle ready! They will launch once we leave the port! All hands, level one battle station!"

"Keep your eyes open!" it did not take long for Natarle to issue her first order to the CIC, "The enemy is probably waiting for us outside!"

"She's damn right, boys!" Zeke added, still sore at the fact that his fighter was yet to be repaired, "The enemy probably has enough firepower to kill us ten times over!"

Juni rolled her eyes at Zeke's "inspiring" statement, "Is that your idea of a prep talk? How encouraging!"

"Enemy spotted! Analyzing heat signature!" Jackie Tonomura broke the little conversation as they entered combat earlier than expected, "It's the Blitz!"

"Launch the Strike!" Murrue rued their bad luck as she was forced to send Kira out. She had hoped to avoid clashing with the enemy until they were out of the base.

* * *

**Port, Mitchell Prison Station, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Where is it?" frustration was starting to seep in as Nicol tried to locate the _Archangel._ The massive layout of the prison station meant that locating the legged ship would be long and tedious. He was about to turn back and try another area when the sensors picked up a familiar object. After a long time of searching, Nicol finally found his target.

"Looks like I've finally found you," Nicol studied the Strike's sword configuration as it headed straight for him. The silhouettes of the _Archangel _and two Nelson-class battleships slowly came into view as their distances neared. "There's no getting away this time!" Nicol let out a cry and crashed the Blitz's shield against the Strike's anti-ship sword.

Kira held on to the joystick tightly as the cockpit trembled with the impact. Neither opponent suffered any real damage as they were pushed back by each other's attack. Desperate to ensure the _Archangel's _safety, Kira adopted an offensive stance and initiated attack after attack. Swinging the large and cumbersome anti-ship sword, Kira was able to force Nicol on the defensive. Nicol was extremely cautious as his suit would be sliced apart with one solid strike.

"Damn it. He's tough!" Nicol pulled the Blitz back to open up some distance. He fired the "Gleipnir" anchor in a bid to restrain his opponent, but switched to the beam rifle as it was easily dodged.

Kira swerved to the right as the beam shot missed by inches, "Damn! He's come all the way in here! I have to stop him!" More power was added to the Strike's thrusters as Kira tried to narrow the distance. The Sword Striker configuration basically limited him to close combat.

"Just a little more!" adrenalin was rushing in as Nicol traded another round of blows with Kira's Strike, neither of them able to finish the other off. He waltzed past a couple of pot shots by the _Archangel's_ "Igelstellung" CIWS and attempted to drive the beam saber through the Strike's central portion. The stab was inaccurate as Kira shifted slightly to the right, but momentum meant that the Blitz crashed right into the Strike as both machines hurtled down, crashing through a messy array of dangling wires before landing with a loud thud.

The rough landing rattled both pilots and it took them a few seconds to recover from it. Kira was the first to regain his movements as he delivered a kick to the Blitz, which happened to be on top of his suit. His drive to protect the _Archangel_ driving him, Kira swung the anti-ship sword furiously as it bamboozled through a forest of wires and clipped the Blitz's head. That move effectively rendered the right sight of the Blitz's head useless as Nicol was forced to continue with close to half his sensory equipment gone.

"That's too close for comfort!" Reacting immediately to avoid a potentially fatal follow-up slash by the Strike, Nicol fired his lancer darts as he tried to cover his temporary retreat, switching to a medium range tactic. The Blitz was primarily a melee suit, but its beam rifle at least gave some allowance in terms of diverting from its intended role, a luxury the Strike, which was equipped with nothing but melee weapons, did not possess.

The battle might have only started five minutes ago, but Kira was already soaking wet as the demanding combat took its toll. He winced in pain as perspiration entered his eyes. Distracted by the discomfort, Kira widened his eyes in surprise as a beam appeared from above him and threatened to pierce through the cockpit. _Damn! How did I lose track of him?_ Just as it looked like it was all over, Kira's reflexes took over and veered the Strike away from the beam. The Strike twirled around in time for him to see the Blitz flying above him, its speed and direction completely synchronized with his. Kira would have shot his enemy point blank – if he had something to shoot with.

"Kira Yamato… are you really superior to us?" Nicol muttered through gritted teeth as the Strike emerged unscathed once again. None of his attempts had worked so far and the Blitz had already sustained quite a serious blow to its head.

"Nicol! What's your status?" Yzak's voice rang in Nicol's ears as a transmission came in. As planned, the _Gamow _and Garcia's fleet would move in once the lightwave-barrier was taken down.

"I'm engaging the Strike!" Nicol gasped in horror as a beam boomerang zoomed in on his suit. His body moved on its own as his arm twitched the joystick slightly, allowing the Blitz to parry the boomerang away with its shield.

Closing the distance down with blinding speed, Kira delivered another wild swing at the Blitz. He groaned as his rushed attack was blocked again. He was about to repeat the same move again when he was ordered to return to the _Archangel._ "But the enemy's still here!" he argued, but obeyed nonetheless.

On the other side of the transmission was Juni, "I understand what you mean," she explained, "But we're approaching open space soon. We will re-equip the Strike with the Aile Striker. It will give you more mobility and range, plus it will give you a new set of battery!"

The heated battle had taken all his attention and it was only then did Kira notice that they were approaching the edge of the port. Having moved along with the _Archangel_ during the fight, the Strike and Blitz had been moving out of the base all the time while they were battling. Kira looked back at the Blitz one last time as he aligned his suit to the launch catapult. The Moebius Zero and Tolle's GINN HM whizzed past him as they came out from the other launch catapult.

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Enemy count?" with the ship out in the open, Murrue was desperate to know the enemy's strength.

"One Laurasia-class…" Jackie Tonomura's eyes widened in fear, "… and the 8th Fleet!"

_Admiral Garcia. So you've decided to join this battle._ Murrue clenched her teeth in anger as the Dreadnaught-class _Unity_ came into view, "The _Archangel_ and the _Menelaos _will form up ahead of the _Endymion_. Concentrate fire on the Laurasia-class and the _Unity_!"

"Gottfried… fire!" Natarle shouted as two of Admiral Garcia's ships were incinerated within seconds of the battle starting.

"The enemy is sending out their fighters. Sensors are picking up close to a hundred Defender Heavy Fighters!" Jackie gave an update as the battle went full swing, "I'm picking up two mobile suits as well! They're the Duel and Buster!"

"Don't let them anywhere near us!" Murrue wasn't going to give up despite the heavy odds, "Be wary of the Blitz as well!"

* * *

**Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Damn! Taking on the both of them is certainly tough!" Nicol hid the Blitz behind one of the many debris as Mu and Tolle were relentlessly piling on strike after strike at him. He was having a particularly hard time trying to cope with the mobile turrets controlled by Mu.

"I've got him!" noticing that Nicol was distracted by the Moebius Zero, Tolle swung around the Blitz as he attempted to take advantage of the damage Kira dealt to its head earlier. The damaged area had no phase shift armor as protection and the GINN HM's machine gun was able to penetrate it easily.

Nicol, however, was quick enough to spot the danger, "Not this time!" he jammed on the thrusters and shot upwards, avoiding any additional damage. As long as he played it safe, the Moebius Zero and GINN HM's conventional weapons would be useless against the Blitz. The only issue was how long the Blitz's power would last. He had used up quite a bit due to the initial approach to Mitchell with the Mirage Colloid activated.

The numerical advantage was soon to be taken away, though, as Mu was concerned with the arrival of the Duel and Buster, "Tolle! Keep hounding the enemy! It's only a matter of time before he runs out of power! I'll have to return to the _Archangel_! It seems the remaining two G-Weapons have arrived. I've got to help them out! Can you cope by yourself?"

"You can count on me, Mu!" taking on the Blitz one-on-one was something Tolle did not mind. He was keen to take revenge on it for slicing up Kira's Starflier and very nearly killing his best friend.

"I'm off!" choosing to trust in Tolle's self confidence, Mu retracted his gun barrels and made a dash for the _Archangel._ He had to defend them from the Duel and Buster while the Strike was switching its equipment.

Machine faced machine as the two young pilots stared at each other. It looked like a total mismatch on paper as the GINN HM, despite its speed and maneuverability, did not have the beam weaponry necessary for overcoming phase shift armor. The Blitz's damage to its head, however, leveled the playing field somewhat.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Tolle mumbled in excitement as he got ready to move, "I will not allow you to put even a scratch on the _Archangel_."

Nicol's eyes narrowed as the GINN HM sprinted to his right and opened fire, "Taking me on yourself? Don't you dare underestimate me!"

* * *

_**Endymion**_** Bridge, Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"How are they holding up?" Walker was understandably worried as the _Archangel _and the _Menelaos _were taking the brunt of the attack. He was visibly guilty that his ship was of no help in such a critical situation. The _Endymion_ still had not recovered from the heavy damage it received from the earlier fight against Admiral Garcia's fleet.

Looking around them, all Walker could see were swarms of enemy fighters and endless flashes of light, presumably the last act of a downed fighter. Hanse and Lezzy, both in their own mobile suits, were having a field day destroying fighter after fighter, but even their contributions did little to sweeten the odds. Admiral Garcia had obviously received additional reinforcements as their numbers seemed greater than what met them at Zone 21.

A transmission popped up and cut Walker off their dire situation momentarily. The face of a young blonde showed up, "Why am I still not allowed to launch? We'll soon turn into mince meat! Let me help!"

Walker wasn't sure how to react. Handling Cagalli turned out to be fat tougher than any he had ever encountered before, "Not a chance, Cagalli. General Marian specifically told me that you will not join this battle. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for your turn."

"You can't be serious?" was Cagalli's vexed reply. She obviously did not enjoy sitting out of a battle, especially one that could very well determine whether she could live to see another day.

"From all I know, Hanse was pretty serious about this," having overheard the transmission, Admiral Halberton chipped in to quell her anger, "You might want to try asking him again."

"But I can help!" Cagalli was still hoping that she could go out, but Admiral Halberton was firm in his decision.

"No buts," Walker decided that it was enough. They still had a heated battle to contend with, "State your case to General Marian yourself." With that, he switched off the transmission before Cagalli had the chance to protest, relieved that the "troublesome" part was over.

"She's pretty energetic, isn't she?" Admiral Halberton said as he watched a splintered part of a destroyed enemy fighter whiz past the bridge. The rest of the crew nearly had a heart attack considering how close it was to crashing into the bridge.

Walker nearly chuckled at their almost comical reaction, but reduced it to a slight smirk before giving his reply, "A little too energetic, if you would ask me."

Admiral Halberton was nodding in agreement when the communications officer relayed a message from the _Menelaos_, Admiral Henderson's ship. It was a message that shocked him.

"That's absurd! How can he do such a thing!" Walker was in disbelief as well.

"Relay to the _Menelaos_ that I will not allow for such a pointless sacrifice!" Admiral Halberton ordered in haste.

"I can't get through to the _Menelaos_!" the communications officer replied as he tried unsuccessfully to send the message.

"Damn it! What are you thinking?" a sense of dread encompassed him as the _Menelaos_ started to move out of formation.

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"The _Menelaos_ will move out of formation and crash into the _Unity_?" Murrue thought for a moment that she was hearing wrongly, but confirmation from the _Endymion_ seconds later proved her wrong.

"What in the world are they thinking?" as much as he did not have much of a relationship with the crew of the _Menelaos_, Zeke wasn't too willing to see them end their lives with such an impulsive maneuver.

"Surely there must be a better way!" Juni chorused in agreement with Zeke.

Time was running out and Murrue knew it, "Is the Strike ready?" she asked Natarle.

"It's ready!" Natarle got the go ahead from Murrue and proceeded with the launch procedures.

_I'm counting on you, Kira._ Murrue thought to herself as the Strike took off towards the battlefield.

* * *

**Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Annoying flies!" Yzak pulled the Duel back and opened fire with his beam rifle. He let out a frustrated roar as the elusive Moebius Zero evaded again.

"I can't understand this!" Dearka was next as he snapped the two oversized guns in place and fired away, missing the target by inches again, "How can a mobile armor move so well?"

"Dearka, watch out!" Yzak's warning was followed by a pair of neon green beams that accelerated towards the right side of the Buster Gundam. Fortunately for Dearka, he managed to pull away at the last minute and avoided any damage.

"Too close for comfort," Dearka muttered as he tried to keep track of Mu's gun barrels while being wary of the _Archangel. _One hit from the main cannons and even the phase shift armor would be punched through like paper. He looked over to the Duel, "Yzak, keep that mobile armor occupied. I will try to put some dents on that legged ship!"

There was, however, no reply. "Hey… Yzak. Did you catch what I said? Yzak?" The silence was there for a very good reason. Yzak's eyes were transfixed on something else. His blood boiled as a newcomer entered the fray.

"STRIKE!!"

"Hey! Yzak!" Dearka tried to prevent his teammate from doing anything rash but was powerless in the situation. Fueled by rage, Yzak held nothing back with a forceful slash on the Strike's shield using his beam saber, the latter pushed back due to the impact.

"This mobile suit," the earlier clash with the Duel Gundam was etched deep in his mind, "He's really persistent!" Kira opened up the distance and fired with the beam rifle, but his rushed shot could not find its target.

"Hah! Not with the way you fight!" gloating at his opponent's apparent lack of experience, Yzak was fully confident that avenging Miguel was within reach. He pulled up in front of the Strike and blasted a point blank shot at its torso. Kira again used his amazing reflexes to scatter the beam with his shield and drew his beam saber. The two pilots engaged in a grueling melee fight as neither found a way to even inflict a scratch on each other's armor. Despite how heated he was, Yzak was observant enough to notice that Kira, despite his out of the world defensive abilities, was seriously lacking in the offense department. He grinned as a plan was thought up in a matter of seconds.

"Are you running away?" Kira was already fully absorbed in the fight and did not realize that Yzak's retreat was actually a trap. Fully aware of Kira's offensive deficiencies, Yzak predicted that a mistake was bound to happen should his opponent remain on the offensive for too long.

"You bastard! Not only have you lost your memory, you've lost all your combat skills as well!" Yzak laughed at Kira's overly ambitious attempt to hack his suit in half was thwarted as he delivered a crushing kick on the Strike's torso.

Disorientated by the impact, Kira lost control of the Strike and took his hands off the controls for a moment. The next thing he knew, he was staring down the barrel of the Duel's beam rifle. He froze as the tip of the beam rifle started to glow; there just wasn't enough time for him to do pull off anything to save himself. It was too much for Kira to take and he screamed in fear as death looked all but certain.

"Get away from me!!" it was not like his enemy would do accordingly but Kira still shouted in hope of a miracle. The unmistakable sound of an explosion was heard as he closed his eyes in anticipation of a painful end.

The painful end, however, did not arrive.

_I'm still alive?_ Running his hands through his body, Kira realized he was far from dead. Miracles do happen, it seems.

"Snap yourself out of it, kid!" Mu shouted at the dazed Kira as he managed to destroy the Duel's beam rifle at the nick of time.

"Dearka! You're supposed to keep that mobile armor away from me!" Yzak was erupting in rage and exasperation as he missed another opportunity to finish off Kira. He nearly tried to shoot the Buster himself, but could not since Mu had just destroyed his rifle seconds earlier.

"Sorry. Lost track of him for a moment," Dearka replied sheepishly as he endured a barrage from his enraged silver hair compatriot. Having his attempts to defeat Kira turned back repeatedly were no doubt getting on his nerves.

"Thanks a million, Mu!" Kira guided the Strike beside Mu's Moebius Zero, thankful that his life was intact.

The danger was, however, not over, "Thank me later, kid! Just get out of here for now!"

"Get out of here? What about the _Archangel_?" Mu's order puzzled Kira.

"Look who's coming our way?" Mu diverted Kira's attention to a looming figure of a battleship hurtling down their path.

Kira looked on in astonishment as the _Menelaos _approached at dangerous speeds in a collision course with the _Unity_, the flagship of Admiral Garcia's fleet. He wasted no time as the Strike was moved clear of the _Menelaos' _path, "It can't be!" he exclaimed worriedly, "They'll die with such a move!"

"Admiral Henderson simply refused to turn back! There's no stopping him now!" Mu fired a few pot shots at the Duel and Buster to keep them away.

"What the heck are they thinking?" Yzak cried out as he easily dodged. He could not believe that the enemy would actually dare to pull off a kamikaze attack.

"Stay close to the _Archangel_!" Mu shouted as he pulled back, "Once the _Unity _is taken out, the _Archangel_ will fire its main cannons and punch through the enemy's frontline. We will stay outside and cover the _Archangel! _Hopefully, we'll create enough confusion to sneak past the enemy!"

"This isn't right!" Kira could not agree with how things were going, but he was in no position to stop it. He reluctantly followed Mu back to the _Archangel_ and joined up with Tolle in his damaged GINN HM. The Blitz was currently being held back by Hanse and Lezzy as Tolle's GINN HM lost an arm, "Damn! If only I had a machine to match it!" Tolle seethed at his inability to best the superior Blitz Gundam.

* * *

**Bridge, **_**Unity**_**, 8****th**** Fleet Flagship, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"What did you just say?" Admiral Garcia clutched the handle of his seat in fear as his crew delivered the bad news.

"The _Menelaos_ is on a collision course with us!" the first officer replied as he waited for Garcia's orders. There was no longer any time for evasive measures and he was expecting Garcia to order for an evacuation.

Garcia was in too much panic to come up with any sensible solutions, "Shoot it down! What are you waiting for? Do you want to die?"

"It's impossible!" the first officer disagreed, "There is no more time! We have to abandon the ship, sir!"

"Abandon ship?" Garcia took a few seconds to calm himself down and realized that it was the best course of action, "All… all hands! Abandon ship!"

"Five seconds to impact!" one of the crewman shouted shrilly as the _Menelaos_ barreled towards them like an unstoppable train.

* * *

_**Endymion**_** Bridge, Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Farewell, my friend," Admiral Halberton struggled to keep his tears back as another of his close friends went down. The suicide move had effectively opened up a narrow escape path – at a high cost.

"Follow the _Archangel_ closely! Once they give the signal, move ahead and activate cruise engines!" Walker held back his emotions. Getting out of the chaos was the most important task at hand.

Admiral Halberton looked at the shattered hull of the _Menelaos_ as they passed by the wreckage. He stood up and issued a salute, a gesture the entire crew gave as well. _Your efforts will not be in vain, my good friend._

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Lohengrin, fire!" A powerful blast from the _Archangel's_ Lohengrin Positron Cannons incinerated a couple of ships blocking their path.

"The Strike, GINN and Moebius Zero have returned!" Natarle reported as Murrue nodded in acknowledgement.

"The _Endymion_ has moved ahead of us! They've activated their cruise engines!" Zeke added.

"Good! Hold the enemy off for a little longer! Once the _Endymion_ is clear, we'll set engines to maximum and blast our way through as well. We should be able to catch up with them in a short while," Murrue ordered as the _Archangel_ endured waves after waves of attack. Only its laminated armor prevented any substantial damage.

"The _Endymion_ is clear!"

"Set engines to maximum! Full speed to the Texas Jump Hole!" Murrue ordered.

_(Note: The Texas Jump Hole is an original creation by me. It did not exist in the Alaska System in the Freelancer game. Just to let you know.)_

* * *

**Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

"Impossible!" Yzak's eyes bulged in fury as the _Archangel_ and Strike proved to be elusive once again. He simply could not believe that the _Gamow _and Admiral Garcia's entire fleet were only able to take down one out of three ships, with the _Unity_ destroyed in exchange.

"Oh boy, we suck," Dearka scratched his head as he contemplated a total failure of a mission.

"We'll return to the _Gamow_ for now!" Yzak said, fuming.

"Understood," Dearka and Nicol both agreed as the trio returned to the _Gamow_ in defeat.

_**End of Chapter 12**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham**_

_**Another battle, another escape. The Archangel avoids defeat once again. They are, however, still in Alaska. Will the Archangel and Endymion successfully reach the hidden Texas Jump Hole? More importantly, will Kira be able to stomach the harrowing image of the Menelaos sacrificing itself to ensure their escape?**_

_**Here's another chapter for you all. The story should move out of Alaska by the next chapter, though I don't know how long more will the story stay in Liberty. I do hope that this chapter is written well enough. Please do give me your comments on the story so far. I'm definitely open to suggestions on how to improve my writing.**_

_**That's all for now and thanks for reading!**_


	16. Ch 13: Death Trap

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 13: Death Trap**

* * *

_--Patrick Zala for Chancellor?--_

_While it is still early, the current Chairman of the Defense Committee, Patrick Zala, has emerged as a frontrunner for the upcoming vote by Rheinland's Supreme Council. In a recent pre-vote poll conducted on notable government officials as well as well known public figures, Patrick Zala was the clear leader with fifty-six percent favoring him. Current Chancellor Siegel Clyne was a distant second at twenty-three percent. So popular is Patrick Zala to Rheinlanders that many who have flocked to greener pastures elsewhere have expressed a willingness to return should Patrick receive the vote to be the new Chancellor. Widely known as the man who revitalized Rheinland's weakened military, many Rheinlanders were hoping that he will be the one to steer Rheinland to retain her position as the dominant nation among the four major Houses, just like how it was a century ago._

* * *

_**Archangel **_**Hanger, Open Space, Sector 5D, Alaska System**

* * *

"Was he injured in the fight?" Murdoch looked at Mu for instructions as the Strike's cockpit remained shut, "He refused to come out no matter how we persuaded him."

Floating over from his Moebius Zero, Mu took off his helmet to reveal an astonished face, "Injured? Not if I can remember. A few knocks to the suit shouldn't have dealt any serious injuries to him."

"Maybe he's really hurt," Tolle hurried towards the Strike as well, his hand wiping off a trickle of blood that came from his earlier battle with the Blitz Gundam. His GINN HM was knocked up quite badly after all, "The guy fighting him was pretty aggressive back there. I won't be surprised if Kira got rattled badly by that Rheinland scum."

Mu felt his hands over the cockpit hatch as he tried to search for a way to open the hatch from the outside, "Hmm… it must be somewhere around here… there!" flipping a switch hidden at one corner, Mu finally managed to force open the hatch.

"Kira! Are you alright?" desperate to find out why Kira chose to remain inside the Strike, Tolle barged his way through Mu and Murdoch to find him, to everyone's relief, completely injury free. The brunet was motionless as his hands gripped the controls tightly. Beads of perspiration were visible through his helmet's visor as he panted heavily. Such a sight obviously surprised everyone.

"Hey, kid. Are you hurt somewhere?" it was pretty much a redundant question as Kira was physically unharmed, but Murdoch could not think of a better one. He had no idea on what else to say.

"Admiral Henderson… _Menelaos… _everyone…" tears swelled as images of the _Menelaos_ crashing into the _Unity_ flashed in Kira's mind. Even if it was for a short period of time, everyone had taken a liking for the amicable chief of Mitchell, and Kira was no exception. Kira was blaming himself on the inside as Admiral Henderson's death tormented him, "If only I had…"

"Come on out, Kira. It's over. You did a great job," moving into the cockpit, Mu loosened Kira's grip on the controls and tried to comfort him, "We would all have died if you had not fought so bravely out there."

"That's right. Juni's alive, Mu's alive, I'm alive, and so is everyone else in this ship. Don't be so hard on yourself, ok?" Tolle added as he stretched out his hands towards Kira, hoping to calm him down.

Kira slowly removed his hands from the control and looked up, "Tolle, wouldn't it be great if we had remained on Leeds. None of this would have happened so far."

Tolle smiled, "Stop saying such things, you little crybaby. We'll survive through anything, and before you know it, we'll be smelling Tobias' stinking breath in that rundown shop of his."

"Maybe you're right. We will survive, right?" a slight smile formed on Kira's face as Tolle's words lifted his spirits a little.

"You're damn right, kid!" Mu slapped on Kira's helmet as he pulled the dazed youngster out of the cockpit, "Let's have something to drink in the canteen. If we are to pull off our great escape, you will need to be in your best condition. C'mon, I bet they have your favorite Sidewinder Fang!"

"Huh? Isn't this a military ship? Is alcohol allowed?" Tolle watched in amusement as Kira was dragged along by Mu. He chuckled as his friend disappeared round the corner, "Well… never mind. We've made it through after all. Time for a little indulgence. But first, I'll have to stop this bleeding in my head."

* * *

_**Archangel **_**Bridge, Open Space, Sector 5D, Alaska System**

* * *

Murrue sighed as Chandra gave a report on their status. The chaotic battle earlier was sufficient to give her at least one week's worth of paperwork, not to mention that the danger was far from over.

"Engines 2 and 4 suffered slight damage in the battle and are only able to operate at sixty percent efficiency. Repairs will take approximately three hours under current conditions," Chandra continued after finishing on the crew status. No one in the _Archangel_ was hurt, fortunately.

"How about the _Endymion?_ We're only moving at half of our maximum speed because of that limping ship, right?" Zeke made no effort to mince his words as he tried to get a better grasp of the situation. Juni glared at him for describing Walker's ship in such a way.

Chandra was about to reply when Murrue interrupted, "I think it's safe to say that the _Endymion_ is in quite a bad shape. I don't think you need any details on how bad its condition is. A stray piece of space debris is all it takes to burn it down. Can we move on to our mobile fighting strength?"

"Yes, ma'am," Chandra flipped the pages of the report furiously as he searched for the information, "Tolle Koenig's GINN HM has sustained serious damage and will be unavailable due to lack of spare parts whereas repairs on Lieutenant Cunningham's Defender is nearly complete. It should be ready by a day or two."

Zeke's eyes twitched as his Defender was mentioned. He had been itching to join in the battle and had been frustrated at how little attention his prized fighter was ignored for the Strike, Moebius Zero and GINN HM.

Ignoring the fuming Zeke, Chandra continued, "The _Endymion_ has lost its entire fighter wing. Its fighting strength is down to three GINN HMs, all in good working condition. Including the Strike and Moebius Zero, our combined mobile fighting strength stands at four mobile suits, one mobile armor and one heavy fighter, assuming Lieutenant Cunningham's Defender is repaired in time for the next battle."

"Any injuries?" Murrue enquired on the crew's condition next.

"Apart from a couple of knocks suffered by some of the hanger crew and Tolle Knoenig, the crew is generally in good condition. Dr. Sinclair from the _Endymion_ has already transferred to our ship to conduct a precautionary check on them as we're speaking," Chandra replied.

"Captain! We're in position to slingshot around the Medium Green and accelerate to the Texas Jump Hole!" Neumann announced as the glow of Alaska's lone star seeped through the thick clouds of the system.

Everyone returned to their posts as they prepared to start their final leg of the journey out of Alaska. Murrue opened a communication channel with the _Endymion_, "Sir, we're in position for the slingshot run. I'll like the _Endymion_ to proceed first. The _Archangel_ will follow closely behind."

"Understood," Walker did not mind Murrue's suggestion, "See you at the jump hole."

"Thank you, sir," Murrue saluted and ordered for the _Archangel _to make way for the _Endymion_. The Nelson-class battleship soon disappeared from view as it was propelled forward by the star's gravitational force.

"Captain, our path is clear!" Neumann gripped the steering tightly as he prepared for a high speed maneuver.

"Engage engines!" Murrue ordered immediately.

With a great roar from the engines, Liberty's newest battleship accelerated and was thrown out at a dazzling speed. With the added velocity provided by the star's gravity, the journey to the jump hole would take less than an hour. Murrue chanted a small prayer in her heart that no interference would pop up as they made their final push to escape Alaska.

* * *

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Open Space, Sector 2C, Alaska System**

* * *

Rau made no comment as he surveyed the pitiful remains of the destroyed _Unity._ Admiral Garcia, along with all who were in it, was expectedly killed in the kamikaze attack by the _Menelaos_. The remains of Garcia's fleet were strewn all over the place – huge metal chunks that were once part of the hull of a battleship as well as smaller debris from destroyed fighters.

"An entire fleet left with just eight battleships…" Ades did not know whether to fear the _Archangel's_ abilities or Garcia's stupidity, "… after fighting a measly assortment of just three ships. How is this possible?"

Rau, however, was not surprised at the disastrous result, "A mouse that is cornered by the cat will eventually fight back with all its strength. Don't ever forget that, Ades. Underestimating your enemy is the worst possible mistake you can ever make."

"I'm terribly sorry, commander!" shaking with fear was Zelman, the captain of the _Gamow_. Rau had a reputation for being ruthless and he was expecting the worst. Beside him were Yzak, Dearka and Nicol. The trio just stared at the ground in shame, in particular Yzak, who could not believe that he could do nothing against Kira.

"You have to be," Rau's reply sent shudders down Zelman's spine, "and I would have punished you severely had it not for the urgency in our mission. I will let you off for now. Destroying that legged ship is our top priority. Explain our plans, Ades."

Ades nodded and stepped up, "Based on our estimation, the legged ship will most likely head for this coordinates," he walked to the on board map and pointed at the edge of the system.

"Pardon me, but should their destination be the jump gate?" They're trying to escape from here, isn't it?" Zelman was surprised at where Ades was pointing. The area indicated was just an empty expense of space, save for the asteroid formations floating around, a distinct feature of the Alaska System. It made no sense for the enemy to go towards a location with no known facilities.

"We've detected an anomaly there. It's most probably a hidden jump hole. We have sufficient reasons to believe that this jump hole was the primary reason why the _Vesalius_ was hit by a sneak attack prior to the enemy's arrival at Mitchell," Ades explained.

"Then shouldn't we chase after them now?" Yzak disliked how they were staying put when the enemy was widening the distance.

"Relax, Yzak Joule. There is no need to panic," Rau assured his infuriated young charge, "I've already done the necessary arrangements. I have a few surprises in store for that legged ship and its companion."

"Surprises?" Nicol was wondering about Rau's words when he noticed that Athrun was no where to be seen. _Could Athrun be at the jump hole already?_

Rau took one last looks at the ruins of the previous battle and issued a new order, "Regroup and set course for New York. We still have to escort commander Schnetzler to Pittsburg. He has to continue negotiations with Planetform regarding the proposed terraforming of Planet Atka. His meeting at Pittsburg will also justify our presence in Liberty."

"Understood," Zelman was more than relieved that Rau wasn't keen on meting out any punishment on him. He promptly motioned for the three pilots to follow him as he made a hasty retreat back to the _Gamow._

* * *

**Texas Jump Gate, Sector 4H, Alaska System**

* * *

"Hey, Athrun, are you joking? How can three ships defeat an entire fleet? Just who the heck is the enemy?"

The Aegis turned left as Athrun eyed the black colored CGUE beside him. He casted his gaze back to the front and gave a reply with a monotonous tone, "Kira Yamato."

Sai Argyle jumped at the reply. He immediately switched to a secure channel, "Athrun, what are you saying? Don't you realize that the name "Kira Yamato" is taboo?"

"It's the truth. We're fighting Kira Yamato," Athrun's face remained stoic as he held off all emotion. He had to finish the job and there was no time for reminiscing the old days.

"Don't be an idiot! Kira Yamato is dead!" Sai thought for a moment that Athrun was losing his mind, "Why can't you get over his death!"

"He's alive!" Athrun made a rare outburst as emotions clashed with his determination to carry out orders, "I'm not lying! He's one of the main reasons why we failed to get our hands on the last of Liberty's new machines!"

Sai remained silent. Like Athrun, he regarded Kira as a good friend. Yet, he could not bring himself to believe that Kira was still alive, not to mention being his enemy, "It can't be…"

"Then we'll finish him off," a feminine voice interrupted their conversation as Sai jumped in shock again.

"Flay…" wrinkles are close to forming on Sai's face as he had a great sense of worry for his partner, "How did you tap into our conversation? It's supposed to be secure."

"I heard it somehow," Flay replied softly as she moved slightly ahead of the pair, "Don't worry about me. I've long forgotten about him. Besides, the enemy has arrived."

Sai checked his radar and sure enough, two large heat sources were picked up, "Amazing, even with the asteroid formations floating around, they are travelling at such high speeds. One small mistake and they will crash into something huge. Looks like they are really desperate to get out of here."

"Get ready! The legged ship is powerful! Don't take them head on! Go according to the plan!" with that, Athrun activated the Aegis' phase shift and charged at the two Liberty ships.

"Kira Yamato…" Flay bit her lips as she gave full power to the CGUE's thrusters, "I will finish you off… as punishment for letting me down!"

Sai followed behind and stared at the back of Flay's CGUE, "Liar. You have not forgotten one bit about him."

* * *

_**Archangel **_**Bridge, Texas Jump Hole, Sector 4H, Alaska System**

* * *

Jackie Tonomura's eyes widened in surprise as he detected three hostile units, "Enemy detected! Three of them! Two CGUEs… and the Aegis!"

"Damn! I knew it wouldn't be that easy!" Zeke slammed his fists on the keyboard as he got a menacing glare from Juni. She obviously found his response overly animated.

Murrue, however, smelt a trap as they prepared to engage in combat, "Just three mobile suits? I had expected an entire fleet to be waiting for us."

"Captain, do we send out the Strike?" Natarle waited impatiently for instructions as almost everyone in the bridge were in frenzy. The only ones who were calm were Murrue, Zeke and Juni.

"All hands, level one battle stations. Prepare for anti mobile suit combat! Send out the Strike and Moebius Zero!" Murrue took a quick glance at the _Endymion_ just ahead, "We have to secure the _Endymion's_ escape first!"

Juni received a message from the _Endymion_ shortly after, "Hanse Marian and Lezzy Mira will go out as well! Four against three, we should be able to make it through!"

"Got it! Set CIWS to automatic. Concentrate fire on the Aegis!" Murrue brushed off the ominous feeling within her as she gave combat orders. It may only be three mobile suits, but she was not ready to relax for any moment. The whole thing was screaming a trap and one mistake was all that was needed to take them down.

_Damn. Its do or die!_ Natarle gritted her teeth and tried her best to time her move correctly, "Gottfried, fire!"

* * *

**Open Space, Near Texas Jump Gate, Sector 4H, Alaska System**

* * *

Sai had a moment of hesitation as the image of the Strike appeared on his monitor, "Hey, Athrun, are you sure Kira's inside that thing? Is he really still alive?"

"It's him, without a doubt," Athrun picked up the beam rifle and aimed slightly at Kira's right, "I'll take care of him. A warning, though. He seems to have lost his memory."

"Lost his memory?" Sai asked, puzzled.

"It means he don't know us," Athrun squeezed the trigger as the beam deliberately missed the Strike by a few inches. He switched to a beam saber and charged straight at it.

"Kira doesn't remember us? Looks like it will be troublesome!" Sai body's pressed against the side of the seat as his CGUE swerved hard to avoid a pair of beams from the _Archangel_. Mu's Moebius Zero was next as four wired gun barrels ran circles around him and forced him on the defensive. Unlike the Aegis, the CGUE was vulnerable to the Moebius Zero's conventional weapons.

"Lezzy, I'll leave the remaining CGUE to you. I'll go help our little friend there," without saying a word more, Hanse sped off to where Kira was, leaving Lezzy behind with Flay and her CGUE.

Flay's focused her eyes on Hanse's GINN HM as the latter left, "That suit. Why does it feel like I know the pilot?"

Lezzy's eyes narrowed, "Rheinland dog. Are you looking down on me?" Without much warning, she whipped out the GINN HM's assault rifle and fired straight at the CGUE's cockpit. Countless bullets pelted the CGUE's shield as Flay's suit was pushed back by the sudden attack.

"Bastard! You're annoying!" proving that she was no sludge either, Flay pulled off a series of back flips as she skillfully evaded whatever Lezzy threw at her. A quick burst of speed brought her CGUE just above the GINN HM and she attempted a downward slash on her opponent. A nifty movement to the right allowed Lezzy to escape in one piece and she fired her rifle again. Flay saw through the move and easily dodged.

"This one's pretty good," Lezzy's heart pumped with excitement as Flay was proving to be a formidable opponent, "Such movements are seldom seen even among the elites of Rheinland. Looks like I can bring up the pace a little."

_Why can't I defeat the enemy? Why can't I defeat the enemy?_ Flay was growing impatient as Lezzy managed to out maneuver her and swing to her rear. She spun around and fired the shield mounted Vulcan guns, only to let off a scream of exasperation as the enemy once again jumped off her sights. She raised her shield towards the left as the alarm sounded off. True enough, Lezzy's suit was already to her left with its assault rifle trained on Flay. The red haired girl was caught unprepared as Lezzy's attack rained down on her, destroying the CGUE's machine gun in the process.

"Damn it!" Flay burned with rage as she was being out-classed by Lezzy, "How can a Coordinator like me lose to a filthy human!"

"What is that?" Lezzy felt like a ton of bricks were falling on her as Flay increased her aggressiveness and smashed the CGUE's shield against her GINN HM. All of a sudden, Flay seemed like a different enemy altogether as she started to force Lezzy on the defensive. Lezzy gasped in horror when Flay slashed her assault rifle in half with a swift movement, "My rifle! How did she…"

Flay grinned as she had her opponent cornered, "That's what you get for pushing me too far. Death is the only path you can take!"

"Not so fast!" just as defeat looked certain, a spray of bullets from a newcomer forced Flay to veer off course. She looked up in anger as another GINN HM entered the fray. Cagalli used the upper hand created by her unexpected entry to pin Flay back.

"Cagalli? Why are you outside?" Lezzy was sure Hanse had specifically instructed Cagalli to remain in the _Endymion_.

"No choice. Direct orders from Captain Walker. Can't help it when you're getting trashed out here," Cagalli replied as she tried unsuccessfully to destroy Flay's CGUE, "The _Endymion_ is sending out your heavy ion cannon. Make sure you don't miss the present!"

"Got it! Thanks for the help!" Lezzy quickly headed for the _Endymion_. She knew Cagalli did not have enough experience against the enemy and she needed to rejoin the fight as soon as possible, "Shit… I was too careless back there."

* * *

_**Endymion **_**Bridge, Texas Jump Hole, Sector 4H, Alaska System**

* * *

"Is the jump hole stable?" Walker asked as the heat of the battle rose.

"It's stable! We can jump to Texas any moment!" the crew gave a welcomed answer as Walker seemed relieved.

"Quick! There is no time to waste! Jump to Texas!" Admiral Halberton was eager to leave the battle as well. The longer the battle continues, the higher the chances that those fighting outside would perish.

Another of the crew added, "Captain! Message from Hanse Marian! The _Archangel_ and _Endymion_ are to jump to Texas first! He and the rest will cover our escape!"

"Inform the _Archangel_!" Admiral Halberton took command, "Prepare to jump to the Texas System!"

* * *

**Open Space, Near Texas Jump Gate, Sector 4H, Alaska System**

* * *

Confusion was banging against Kira's head as his fight against Athrun dragged on. There was a surging sense of curiosity as he tried to find out the link between him and Athrun. On the other hand, the heavy responsibility of ensuring the _Archangel's_ safety rang clearly in his mind. His state of confusion was broken for a moment as Hanse contacted him.

"Kira Yamato," Hanse's voice startled Kira a bit – he had always felt strange since his first meeting with Hanse. The mysterious general from The Order continued with his message, "Can you handle this red guy on your own?"

"I… I think so…" Kira wasn't sure of his reply, but that was the least of his worries as Athrun fired at him, though the shots weren't aimed to kill. He easily avoided any real damage.

"Good. I'll take over from Mu to fight that CGUE. The _Endymion_ and _Archangel_ will jump first with Mu as their escort. In the meanwhile, hold off the enemy until they complete the jump. After that, we'll make a run for it, get it?"

"Got it!" Kira focused his sights on the Aegis and pointed the muzzle of the beam rifle at the red suit.

Hanse smiled and rushed towards Mu, "Excellent. Don't disappoint me, Kira Yamato."

"Count on me!" Kira fixed his gaze on the Aegis as Hanse left the fight. He was on his own now and Kira wanted both answers and the _Archangel's_ safety. He pushed the Strike forward and fired a few shots at the Aegis.

Easily dodging Kira's futile attacks, Athrun closed the distance and crashed one of his beam sabers into the Strike's shield, "Kira! Stop doing this! Why are you still fighting against us?"

"My friends! My friends are on board the _Archangel_! I will not allow you to harm them in any way!" Kira pushed the Aegis back and opened fire again, but once again, his rushed shots failed to meet their target. "Athrun Zala, just who are you?"

"Why are you so stubborn, Kira? How many times must I tell you? We're Coordinators! People of the same kind!" it pained Athrun to see Kira being used by the _Archangel_ and he was determined to persuade him to return, "Can't you see you're being used?"

"I'm doing this out of my own free will!" Kira circled around Athrun with his rifle pointed at him, but his reluctance to fight was evident. Not much effort was shown by both sides to take each other down.

_There's no choice. I have to act fast before he gets killed!_ Athrun decided that it was time to get serious and went on the offensive, "Kira Yamato, I'll get you back no matter what! By hook or by crook, I'm gonna knock some senses into you! We're Coordinators! We should all be working together! Can't you see that Rheinland is the only place for you? It's the only place where people of our kind are accepted! Once your identity is known, those people you call friends will turn their back against you!"

"Never! I'm never going to join you!" Kira was having difficulty fighting against Athrun as the Strike was forced back. Athrun's unending attacks were too much for Kira to handle.

"This fight… all this fighting…" Athrun swung his beam saber and grazed the Strike's armor slightly, "… is all for the future of us Coordinators! Come back, Kira! I don't want to be fighting against my best friend!"

"Best friend? Athrun Zala?" there wasn't any memory, yet Kira felt like Athrun was telling the truth, "Are you telling the truth? And all these Coordinator stuff. What are they? Are they for real?"

"I'm not lying," Athrun glanced over to the jump hole for a second as he noticed that the _Archangel_ and _Endymion_ had made the jump to Texas, "And I will do anything to prove it to you. But for now, I have a mission to complete. I'm terribly sorry, Kira."

Kira blinked at Athrun's words, "Terribly sorry? What do you mean by that?"

Athrun ignored Kira's question and called out to Sai and Flay, "Get ready! I'm firing the flare!"

The rest of them watched in dread as a red colored flare shot out from the Aegis. Lezzy gasped in horror as moment later, a horde of hostile contacts could be detected on the long range sensors. She counted more than twenty GINNs as the reinforcements could not arrive at a worst time. Four mobile suits against more than twenty suits was an overwhelming disadvantage.

"Not good! Those scums are blocking our path to the jump hole!" Cagalli was furious that their plan was ruined by the enemies' untimely arrival. They were so close to escaping.

"Looks like we'll have to kill them all," Lezzy primed her suit and got ready for a heated battle.

Hanse, however, was feeling uncomfortable, "This is bad. Why now? They could have swarmed us right from the start. Why do the reinforcements only arrive now?"

"Athrun! What's the meaning of this?" Kira demanded an answer as their odds of escaping looked slim.

Sai grinned at Kira's question, "This is a real battle, Kira Yamato. Divide and conquer – one of the most effective tactics you can ever use."

"Divide and conquer?" Hanse widened his eyes in shock as he finally deciphered Rau's tactic, "Don't tell me their plan all along has been to isolate us?"

Athrun returned his focus back to Kira, "Give it up, Kira. The two ships you travelled with will be destroyed in no time. They have no way of escaping from Admiral Bridge's clutches; not when their mobile fighting force is still stuck here."

"_Archangel_… finished?" the thought of the _Archangel_ being destroyed was too much for Kira to bear, "This can't be! Tolle, Juni, they're still in the _Archangel_!" Filled with rage and helplessness, Kira lashed out at the Aegis as he lost control of himself. The sudden attack took Athrun by surprise as a beam saber attack was barely blocked.

"Damn it! Don't tell me he's done it again!!" Athrun's suit was thrown back as the Strike initiated a forceful slash followed by a punch to the Aegis' torso.

"Kira…" Cagalli watched in astonishment as the Strike seemed to move with far greater speed and aggressiveness before. It was as if a totally different pilot was in control of it.

Similarly surprised was Flay, "Sai, what's happening? Don't tell me Kira just activated it."

"I think he just did," Sai was positive after watching Kira's sudden boost in speed and skill, "He's definitely entered SEED mode."

* * *

**Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System, Liberty**

* * *

"Damn… out of the frying pan and into the fire. What tough luck," Mu groaned as the Moebius Zero jumped into Texas.

"Oh crap…" Zeke was close to saying his last prayers as the _Archangel_ emerged from the jump hole only to find an unwelcoming sight. Lining up in front of them was an impressive array of Liberty battleships, all primed and ready for battle with their cannons directly pointed at them. The hostile intention was clearly evident. Right in the center of the pack was the Dreadnaught-class flagship _Arizona_, with its distinctive skull insignia painted on both sides of its hull. Blocking their path was none other than the Navy's 1st Special Mobile Battalion – Phantom Pain.

Murrue was in a total shock as well. She could not believe that all their hard work had come to naught, "Impossible. How did they discover this jump hole, and more importantly, why are they pointing their cannons at us? Aren't we on the same side?"

"There's no time to think about why they're not on our side!" Juni was trembling inside even as she was trying to knock some sense into the _Archangel_ crew, "We've got to get ready for battle!"

"She's right!" Mu's face showed up on the screen, "We've got to act fast. Target the _Arizona_!"

"Don't fight!" a sudden interruption by Walker startled Mu and Murrue. They gasped in horror as the _Endymion_ moved ahead of them and went straight for the _Arizona_, "The _Archangel_ has the speed to escape! Run now! We'll draw their fire!"

"No! I can't allow that!" having already seen a similar move by Admiral Henderson in the earlier battle, Murrue was in no mood to see a repeat, "We can't afford anymore sacrifices!"

Walker shook his head as Mu and Murrue tried to dissuade him in vain, "The _Endymion_ is in too bad a shape to escape anyway! Admiral Halberton and I have both decided that this is the best course of action! Go, escape while you still can!"

"There has to be some other way!" Mu tried to move ahead to destroy a couple of enemy fighters that were already firing at the _Endymion_, but was cut off by an entire wing of fighters within seconds. A dreaded feeling emerged as Mu was unable to help Walker in any way. "Don't do it, Walker!" he shouted in desperation while helplessly watching his mentor's ship begin its suicide run at the _Arizona._

* * *

_**Arizona**_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

"Sir! The enemy is making a move!" the XO of the _Arizona_ sang out as soon as movement was spotted.

"Prepare the fleet for battle," picking his muscular frame off the captain's chair, Rear Admiral Grayson Bridges snarled at the futile resistance displayed by the _Archangel_ and _Endymion_, "Show them how different we are from that useless swine by the name of Garcia!"

"Send the first batch of fighter wings out!" the XO ordered for the first wave to begin the attack, "Surround the _Archangel­_ with the Drake-class gunships. Don't even give it the chance to fire its cannons!"

"Target the _Endymion_ with our main cannons!" Grayson Bridges did little to conceal his smug grin as his fleet made the first move. It would all be over in a matter of minutes, "Fire!"

* * *

_**Endymion **_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Admiral Halberton watched with a somewhat resigned smile as the tip of the _Arizona's _main cannon started to glow. The doomed commander found it ironic that his compatriot and close friend, Admiral Henderson, had suffered the same fate in exactly the same way just half a day ago.

"Looks like we won't make it," Walker was consigned to their fates as well as he made no effort to even put on a space suit. With the vast numbers of the enemy, it made no sense to board an escape vessel. The ending would eventually turn out to be the same.

"It's clear from the onset that we won't make it," Admiral Halberton nodded, "This ship's suffered too much damage to go further. From now on, it's up to Murrue and the rest. Our job now is to take down as many enemies as possible before we go down."

Walker turned to the CIC, "Fire at will!" The area around the _Endymion _lit up as the ship performed her last dance, firing all her cannons and launching all the missiles stored in it. Hordes of fighter ships were destroyed by the last ditch effort, along with one battleship that happened to be in their path.

"Captain! Heat source approaching!" one of the officers shouted as the _Arizona's _main cannon let out a shot that illuminated the entire battlefield.

Walker acknowledged the officer but stayed silent. The _Endymion_ could not even dodge the slow but powerful shot. He closed his eyes just before impact as he muttered his last breath.

"Hail Liberty..."

* * *

**Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System, Liberty**

* * *

A huge ball of fire swept across the open expense as a powerful salvo from the _Arizona's _main cannons punched through the hull of the _Endymion._ It happened so quickly that everyone in it were killed in a flash. Not one soul managed to escape.

"Walker!" Juni was overcome with grief at the sight of the destroyed _Endymion_. Never had she imagined that her reunion with Walker would last such a short time.

"Damn…" Murrue fought hard to contain her tears. The unexpected death of Admiral Halberton was certainly a massive blow to her, "Is there really no escape for us?"

_**End of Chapter 13**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges**_

_**What was originally a successful escape to Texas turned out to be a straight dive into the enemy's trap as the Endymion was destroyed in an instant. Facing an opponent far stronger than Admiral Garcia, will the Archangel pull off the same miracle like they did against Garcia's fleet? Or will disaster fall upon them? Lastly, will those still in Alaska be able to escape?**_

_**Here's chapter 13 for you all. I finally manage to near the end of the Alaska arc (which will be concluded by the next chapter), which by the way has been far longer than what I originally planned. Also, I destroyed the Endymion far quicker than planned, hope you won't find it too "extreme". I also introduced a new enemy, Admiral Gray Bridges. I assure that he will be an extremely tough adversary for the main characters. I will also introduce quite a huge plot twist in the coming chapters (one that defies the logic normally displayed in the Gundam Seed anime), so do look out for it. I will explain when that happens.**_

_**You will also notice that Sai and Flay are now Coordinators, which is very unlike their characters in the original anime. I'm doing this as I find it the best way to allow them to have some sort of connection with Kira. I will try to explain how Kira met with them later, either in a flashback or a separate prequel.**_

_**Last but not least, thanks for reading!**_


	17. Ch 14: Fallen Angel

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 14: Fallen Angel **

* * *

_--The Independent System: Hudson (Part 1)--_

_The Hudson System is one of the two independent worlds that separate Liberty space from Rheinland, the other being the adjacent Bering System. It was initially not considered for Jump Gates because of its excessive jump traversal distance to Hamburg at the time. It did offer a few key gaps which allowed trade lanes to be easily constructed. It also contained a planet named Atka, not habitable, but potentially terra-formable. It would be expensive, as there were no ice asteroid fields in close proximity, and the planet was near the outer limits of habitability without supplemental heat sources. _

_The Liberty government initially wanted to establish Atka as a prison planet, further removed from Liberty space. Here they could quietly deposit excess economic undesirables from Texas, where an explosive situation was developing with the boom in the prison populations. Developments to Hudson, however, did not materialize until after Rheinland's war with the GMG ended and the surfacing of unexpected problems in the adjacent and widely used Bering System._

* * *

**Infirmary, **_**Archangel**_**, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

_This can't be happening._

Tears swelled as Sinclair received the news of the _Endymion's_ demise. Little had she expected their escape from Alaska to meet with such a grave turn of events. She could not believe that the farewell she bade to Walker when she was temporarily transferred to the _Archangel_, which had no medical staff, would turn out to be her final glimpse of him.

"Doc, what's wrong? We're out of Alaska, aren't we?" Tolle was having a cut on his forehead stitched and had no idea of what was going on outside. All he knew was that the _Archangel_ had engaged the enemy before managing to jump out of Alaska.

"They're gone..." Sinclair's voice was trembling as Tolle widened his eyes in utter shock, "... the _Endymion_ is gone. We've fallen right into the enemy's trap."

* * *

**Open Space, Near Texas Jump Gate, Sector 4H, Alaska System**

* * *

"ATHRUN ZALA!!"

Athrun winced at the pain as his body smashed against the side of the cockpit. Charging like a wild bull, Kira was holding nothing back as he crashed his shield into the body of the Aegis. Thrown back at a great speed, Athrun was having much trouble as he found it hard to control his machine. The fact that the Strike was piloted by Kira made fighting back almost an insurmountable task. The idea of hurting his best friend just did not go well with him. Even so, Athrun knew he had to mount some sort of a resistance.

"Why can't you leave us alone!?" Kira swung his beam saber downwards as Athrun responded by bringing out his own. The two Gundams stared down at each other as their beam sabers met with full force. Kira, however, seemed to be in an enhanced state of mind as he skillfully pushed Athrun back.

"When did he... possess such strength?" Cagalli thought for a moment that she was seeing things. Always displaying a mild mannered behavior, Kira's sudden boost in aggression was an unexpected sight.

"What great power! Kira may have lost his memory, but I've got to admit his genes are doing a great deal of damage! He's in SEED mode now, to top it off!" a faint sense of fear trickled into Sai's mind as he took a glance at the battle between the Strike and Athrun. A spray of bullets cut off his train of thought and Sai turned back to face Hanse.

"You inexperienced brat!" Hanse laughed as he slammed the GINN HM's feet onto Sai's CGUE, "Never ever take your eyes off the enemy! I believed I taught you that, didn't I?"

"Not good!" Sai was finding it hard to cope with the GINN HM's superior maneuverability, "Why does it feel like this guy is predicting my movements?"

Hanse leapt off from the CGUE as he spotted Sai's attempt to fire his Vulcan guns, "Don't ever think of that!" deftly moving left and right, Hanse approached the CGUE again and detached the heavy sword attached to the GINN HM's rifle. Without missing a beat, he dived in and sliced off the barrels of the CGUE's Vulcan guns.

"Damn!" Sai backed off and called out to a group of GINNs that came to reinforce him, "Quick! Surround the enemy!"

"Coward!" controlling his unit's thrusters expertly, Hanse dodged the net of bullets that surrounded him and made a dash towards one of the GINNs. It did not take long for him to punch a couple of bullets into the enemy's cockpit and reducing it to scrap metal, "Hmph... grunts won't work on me."

Taking chance of the distraction, Sai rounded Hanse from the back and drew out the CGUE's sword. He grunted in frustration as his attack was spotted at the last minute and nullified with another spray of bullets that scrapped the head of his suit. Hanse proceeded to destroy two more GINNs as he reduced the numerical disadvantage even further.

"Three GINNs, two CGUEs and that black CGUE of yours. Piece of cake," Hanse grinned at Sai's machine as he readied for another round of attack, but not before turning to take a brief look at another battle some distance to his right, "The only thing I'm worried about is the two ladies over there. Lezzy must be having trouble trying to protect Cagalli.

True enough, Lezzy was having a tedious task of fighting Flay while trying to protect Cagalli. Flay was skilled enough to keep her at bay, leaving Cagalli to deal with the swarm of GINNs on her own. Noticing that Flay had increased the intensity of her attacks, Lezzy knew she no longer had the luxury to bother with Cagalli anymore.

"If what General Marian said was right, this one's most probably a Coordinator as well. It will not be easy fighting against any of them. Looks like Cagalli is on her own," unable to afford any slipups, Lezzy diverted full attention to Flay's CGUE and charged at her. Making full use of the GINN HM's speed, she shot past her opponent and twisted back. With Flay's back facing her, Lezzy fired her heavy ion cannon.

"She's fast!" a blast from one of the thrusters nudged Flay's CGUE away from the powerful shot. Flay backed off for a bit before deciding to approach her enemy. With Lezzy's GINN HM equipped with only a heavy ion cannon, close combat would place her in an advantageous position. It was, however, easier said than done as Lezzy was smart enough to avoid being drawn into close combat. Flay gritted her teeth in anger as Lezzy's long range tactics were frustrating, wearing her down in the process. The idea of losing to any opponent irked Flay to the fullest.

While Lezzy was able to cope with Flay's pace, the same could not be said of Cagalli. Besides lacking combat experience, she was facing ten GINNs at the same time. Cagalli could not even mount any form of attack as running from the enemy's hail of fire was basically the only thing she could do.

"How long do you plan on running?" one of the Rheinland pilots growled as the fast moving GINN HM was not an easy target to hit. He groaned as another of his shots missed Cagalli slightly.

"Cagalli! Move to your right!" a voice rang through the radio and Cagalli did as instructed. Almost immediately, Hanse's machine went past her and chopped up two of the pursuing GINNs in an instant.

"Thanks!" Cagalli definitely found eight GINNs far easier to handle as compared to ten. Hanse gave no reply as he immediately turned back and resumed his battle with Sai. The pilots accompanying Sai were already downed by him, an act which dealt a heavy blow to him.

Half of the GINNs following Cagalli broke off and joined Sai in his fight against Hanse, further reducing Cagalli's disadvantage. She leapt for joy inside her mind as four enemies would be manageable. Without wasting any time, the feisty blonde slowed down and faced the remaining four GINNs. It was time to give them the fight they wanted.

_Calm down. I can do it._ Cagalli let out a cry and let fly with her assault rifle. The initial attack did not hit the enemy, but it was enough to break their formation. Targeting one of the isolated GINNs, Cagalli chased it down and took it out with another spray of bullets, "Take that!" she shouted victoriously as another GINN fell victim to her fierce attacks.

The enemy's number was starting to whittle down and Hanse could sense an upset in the making. Lezzy was holding up fine against Flay while Cagalli had regained her composure. Hanse never doubted his own ability in such a situation. The only problem was whether Kira could outperform the Aegis. Only then could they safely jump to Texas. Hanse prayed for a quick conclusion as he was having the ominous feeling that something wrong was happening at the other side of the jump hole.

Even in the midst of the heated battle, Athrun could observe that his forces were slowing being chewed away, "This is bad. We have to hold them a little longer," he decided that holding back on Kira was no longer possible and switched the Aegis into its mobile armor mode. "Looks like I must get serious!" he took aim and pressed down the trigger, determined to at least disable the Strike.

A powerful blast from the Aegis' Scylla Energy Cannon flashed across the debris ridden space as Athrun tried to take control of the fight. Fighting with a completely different style, Kira was turning deadlier by the minute. It was far different from the adrenaline rush during his fight against the Rogues and Nicol in California that heightened his senses a little. Kira could feel that what he was experiencing now was far more complex than that feeling. It was like transforming to a superior being with reaction that far surpassed any human could ever pull off.

_What is this? Why does it feel like everything seems easier than before? I'm pulling off maneuvers I could never have done just a moment ago. It's like... I'm going berserk!_ Even as he was fending off Athrun's attacks, Kira felt uneasy at his newfound skills. It just felt unnatural to him.

"Cut it off!" Athrun took a swipe with his beam sabers, but the Strike moved away and avoided it. With Kira in SEED mode, taking down the Strike seemed far from his abilities at the moment.

"Athrun! The reinforcements have been taking down! We're outnumbered again!" Sai's desperate voice rang through the radio as Athrun narrowly avoided a beam shot. He took a look at the time and made his decision.

"Do we retreat?" Flay's voice was shaky as well. Facing Lezzy and Cagalli alone was starting to strain her.

"Retreat! We've done our job. That legged ship should be destroyed by now. We've delayed them enough!" It was earlier than what was planned, but Athrun fired the flares to signal a retreat and fired one last shot at the Strike to cover their escape. Regret and some guilt consumed Athrun as he led the retreat. He had no idea when he would meet Kira again as an enemy._ Best of luck, Kira..._

"He's gone! What do we do?" Cagalli gasped for air as the unnatural glow of the jump hole shimmered in front of her GINN HM.

"Forget about them!" Hanse did not wait as he approached the jump hole speedily, "Jump to Texas. Something within me tells me that our friends are facing a tough time at the other side!"

"Roger!" the remaining three replied at once and made the jump to Texas. None of them were too eager to remain in Alaska any longer.

* * *

_**Archangel **_**Hanger, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

"Is it ready?" Zeke's hurried footsteps reverberated around the metal walls of the hanger as he rushed towards his partially repaired heavy fighter. It was a risk to bring the fighter out into open space at its current state, but the dire situation facing them left Murrue with no choice but to send Zeke out.

"It should be able to sortie without any problems!" Zeke was already in the Defender's cockpit by the time Murdoch shouted back a reply, "Just don't expect it to move like usual! Watch out for the right side of the ship as well! Repairs are not totally done and it's more fragile than usual!"

"More than enough!" Zeke closed the hatch and hurriedly punched on more than a dozen buttons. The Defender Heavy Fighter soon started up and it was hastily moved to the launch catapult.

"Zeke Cunningham, Defender Echo 3-7, taking off!"

"Stop looking! Get back to work! Prepare the freighters!" Murdoch went ballistic at his crew of mechanics as they watched Zeke took off in his heavy fighter. _Those bastards! They took out the Endymion with the first salvo. I won't be surprised if they destroy the Archangel with the second._

* * *

_**Arizona**_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Rear Admiral Grayson Bridges looked at his watch and signaled for the ship's XO to come over, "Send the Zero Squadron out."

The ship's XO, Lieutenant Ian Lee, looked at his commander in surprise, "Pardon me, sir, but is it necessary to send them out?"

Grayson shook his head to the astonishment of Ian, "Nothing is certain, Lieutenant. I'll rather send more than what's necessary and overkill than send just the right amount and have some freak circumstances jeopardize my mission. Listen carefully, never underestimate your enemy. Do it and you'll pay with your life."

Ian stayed silent as Admiral Bridges' advice seemed to carry a hint of sadness. He nodded and did as what was instructed. The _Arizona's_ Zero Squadron was launched in no time as five grey colored Moebius Zero emerged from the ship's hanger and sped towards the _Archangel_ and _Endymion_. Ian watched on as his commander spared no resources. _Zero Squadron… Liberty's best pilots. It'll be interesting to see how the Hawk of Endymion match up to them._

* * *

**Open Space, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

"Damn! There's just too many of them!" Zeke exclaimed while another unfortunate enemy fell to his attacks. There were, however, many more enemies approaching, just like how it was when they were up against Admiral Garcia.

"Be careful out there!" Mu pulled alongside Zeke's Defender, "The Zero Squadron, they're coming!"

"Are you positive?" Zeke cursed at their luck as the Phantom Pain's Zero Squadron had a quite a reputation. Fighting against Liberty's best pilots was akin to suicide.

"Absolutely positive! I can sense five of them! Don't get killed!" Mu released the Moebius Zero's wired gun barrels as scores of Defenders made a beeline for him, "They're being led by Neo Roanoke, a tough nut to crack."

"Neo Roanoke? That masked pilot? Do you know him?" Zeke had heard patches of information about Phantom Pain's ace pilot, but had no concrete idea on who he was exactly.

"Yeah... he's my elder brother," Mu recalled his previous stint as a test pilot in Liberty's Moebius Zero Project, "We tested the Moebius Zero together. He got posted to Phantom Pain soon after while I went under the command of Walker for a brief period. Just a reminder. He's really good."

"Elder brother?" Zeke ripped another Defender apart as he caught side of the Zero Squadron from a distance, "That's strange; how come he doesn't have a 'La Flaga' at the back of his name?"

Mu twitched at the question, "Long story. I'll tell you if we survive this one."

"Fine with me!" Zeke suppressed his curiosity and focused on the Zero Squadron instead. The five Moebius Zeros looked menacing as their grayish paint job portrayed a hallowing image very unlike Mu's orange colored one.

No sooner had the five enemies arrived and Zeke was already on the run. He had to fight superior machines in a Defender that wasn't fully repaired, and there were five of them to add to his woes. Even with Mu out there, the despairing gap was all too obvious. Zeke had to pull off a series of inhuman maneuvers as one of the enemies' gun barrels surrounded him and opened fire. He held his breath as the Defender executed an endless waltz of twists and turns to avoid being hit by any of the gun barrels. Zeke heaved a sign of relief as the gun barrels returned to their owner as the enemy prepared for a second round of attack.

"Now's my chance!" Zeke was quick to spot his chance and turned around to face the pursing enemy. Fortunately for him, only one of the Moebius Zeros was on his tail. One of them headed for Mu while the remaining three picked the _Archangel_ as their target.

Not to be outdone, the enemy Moebius Zero manipulated its thrusters and pulled back a little upon realizing Zeke's intentions. Hiding his mobile armor behind a couple of downed allies, Lieutenant Jack Thermon laughed at Zeke's failed attempt on his life, "Aren't you one of Juneau's top pilots? Or are you a man of reputation only, Zeke Cunningham!"

"That voice! Aren't you're one of those so called LSF special command guys who docked at Juneau hours before the attack? Why are you in Phantom Pain? Was everything just a lie?" Zeke snarled, seething. Realizing that the enemy standing before him was one of the pilots who threw his weight around in the hanger earlier only served to make his blood boil even further.

"Don't blame me for that, Lieutenant Cunningham. I was merely following orders!" moving his mobile armor from the debris shielding him, Jack intended to finish Zeke off in one off. Little did he expect Zeke to accelerate under him and threw a dangerous spray of armor piercing rounds into his mobile armor's belly, "This can't be! You'll pay for this!"

Sacrificing two of his gun barrels to protect against Zeke's swift attack, Jack was burning with rage. He twirled around while firing away with his remaining two gun barrels, making sure to aim his linear cannon at the evading Defender fighter.

"Come on. Surely, someone from the famed Zero Squadron can do better!" it was Zeke's turn to taunt as he managed to avoid Jack's linear cannon shot. Making full use of whatever speed his fighter possessed, Zeke went under one of the opposing Drake gunships and used it as a shield from Jack's gun barrels. He then went over the same gunship and made a head on charge towards the Moebius Zero. Practically firing all the weapons at his disposal, Zeke destroyed the remaining two gun barrels Jack had and forced him to retreat.

"Coward!" Zeke sneered victoriously as the enemy was left scurrying back to the _Arizona._ The danger was not over, however, as there were still three Moebius Zeros attacking the _Archangel_; not to mention the swarm of Drakes and Nelson-class battleships closing in on it. Furthermore, it was clear that the enemy that picked on Mu was on a different level from Jack Thermon. In fact, Zeke could see that Mu was starting to lose the battle.

"I've got to help him!" without thinking twice, Zeke powered towards where Mu was, fully intending to _teach _the LSF ace a lesson or two on space combat, "You guys can't do without me after all!"

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

"Engine 1 is down! Engines 2 and 4 are losing power!"

"More fighters approaching from starboard! Too many to count!"

"Heat in the armor is rising rapidly! The limit will be reached if this keeps up!"

"Valiant! Number 1 and 2, fire!" refusing to give up, Natarle attempted to take down one of the gunships that had veered too close to the _Archangel_. The resulting shots took it down, but did little to alleviate their grave situation. There was simply too much enemy to fight, and their actions were much more coordinated this time around.

"Any news yet from general Marian?" Murrue asked, flustered. They needed any help they could get and they needed it desperately.

"No activity from the jump hole yet!" Jackie replied, much to the dismay of the crew.

"Connect me to the _Arizona_!" Murrue ordered. It was the last solution she could think of and it was a gamble she decided to take.

"But captain! How will this help?" Natarle could not believe that Murrue actually though of such a move.

"Is there anything we can do?" Murrue replied, "Admiral Bridges is ruthless in battle, but he is not the type to betray Liberty. He must be under orders from someone corrupted! If we can just convince him..."

Natarle did not know whether to agree with the captain's orders or not, but she had no choice but to obey. She returned her focus back to her job, "Prepare missile tubes one to ten for firing. Target the mobile armors!"

* * *

**Open Space, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Neo Roanoke did little to conceal his smirk as he destroyed the second of Mu's gun barrels, "As always, Mu La Flaga, you're no match for your elder brother."

"Shut up! Why are you guys even attacking us? Aren't we supposed to be on the same side?" Mu groaned in frustration as Neo's speed once again rendered his attacks useless.

Neo did not let up on his attacks, even if Mu was related by blood, "Such things don't matter to me; at least for now. I'm just following orders. You won't bear any grudges against me, will you?"

"Honestly, I can't comprehend what you're thinking sometimes. But I never imagined that I will fight you in such an occasion!" Mu tried to trap his brother by forming a triangle with his mobile armor and remaining gun barrels, but Neo was once again too quick to handle.

"Surrender now, Mu. I will persuade Admiral Bridges to spare your live. I would definitely love to have you in my squadron. There are no two better pilots in the whole of Liberty than us," Neo wasn't ashamed to bring up his preposition in the middle of the fight. He released his gun barrels and circled them around Mu's unit, but Mu was able to avoid that round of attack.

Mu did not hesitate to reject Neo's offer, "I'm not going over to your side. Too much has happened for me to turn back now!"

"Then are you going to betray Liberty? Do you find being labeled as a traitor too trivial a thing?" combining lightning speed with pin point accuracy, Neo was constantly preventing Mu from mounting any substantial attacks.

"Traitor?" Mu flinched at the last statement, "What have we done to quantify our labeling as traitors? Does protecting Liberty's top secret project from Rheinland invaders put us in the wrong?"

"Rheinland invaders? What a pack of lies, Mu!" dismissing Mu's claim without second thought, Neo intensified his offensive and fired all four of his gun barrels at the same time. A couple of shots scrapped the armor of Mu's Moebius Zero, but he was fortunate enough to avoid serious damage.

"You scum!" making a blazing entry was Zeke. Charging head on towards Neo's gray colored Moebius Zero, he threw whatever his Defender could dish out and forced the Phantom Pain ace to break his attack on Mu.

"Gosh... what took you so long?" Mu had a few seconds to regain his footing due to Zeke's timely intervention and pulled alongside his ally.

Zeke naturally scoffed at Mu's greeting, "You suck, Hawk of Endymion. I've already gotten rid of one of them. I can't believe you're still stuck with just one of them. Your reputation had me expecting more."

"Well... whatever. Just know that this guy's a little tougher," Mu did not bother defending himself. He was too focused on fighting Neo to even consider doing it, "Neo Roanoke is just about the best pilot you can ever encounter in Liberty space. Don't underestimate him."

Despite Zeke's arrival, Neo was not at all concerned, "One more annoying fly to deal with. Not like its going to matter. Its time to finish this fight, Mu. I've already given you a way out, but you rejected me. You left me with no choice, little brother. I'll show no mercy."

"Are you ready?" Mu looked at Zeke's Defender fighter while asking.

Not intending to let anyone step on his pride, Zeke was not putting down his chances of defeating Neo, "Don't look down on me, Mu La Flaga! I'll definitely protect the _Archangel_!"

* * *

_**Arizona**_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Doubts descended upon his mind when Ian read the message displayed on the screen, "Sir, what shall we do about this?"

Grayson remained silent for a moment as he scrutinized the message sent by the _Archangel_. He never believed that they would have the audacity to contact him, nor did he expect the contents that met his eyes. The proceedings, however, were unfolding in exactly the way he had expected it to be.

Ian was at a loss for words. He looked helplessly at Grayson for orders, "Are they telling the truth? What if..."

Raising his right arm, Grayson stopped Ian from saying more. He closed his eyes as he contemplated his next move, "Inform all forces to hold their fire. Have Neo and his squadron return as well."

"Hold fire? But..." even Ian was not too comfortable with Grayson's shocking decision. He had expected his commander to continue with the attack, a trait usually displayed by the no-nonsense Grayson Bridges.

"Are you disobeying my orders?" a fierce glare jolted Ian from his spot and he scurried to relay the new orders.

"Sir, four additional contacts coming in from the jump hole!" the _Arizona's_ radar officer shouted just as the order was issued.

"Don't do anything rash. Wait for my instructions!" Grayson eyed the four new arrivals for a second before picking up a receiver, "Link me up with that ship."

* * *

**Open Space, Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Cagalli shook in anger as she surveyed the scene ahead of her. The _Endymion_ was no where to be seen while the _Archangel_ was in critical condition. It did not take much for her to guess what had happened while they were still fighting in Alaska.

"Stay still. Don't do anything rash," Hanse made sure to warn everyone first. He wasn't taking any chances, especially with Cagalli's known rashness. The situation seemed calm for the moment as both the _Archangel_ and Grayson's fleet were not making any movements.

"Just what is happening?" Kira was similarly in a confused state. The obvious fact that the _Endymion_ was no more also affected him heavily.

Lezzy did not relax for a moment as she prepared for the worst to happen, "They were certainly fighting before, but something must have happened to stop it."

"Sounds right to me," Hanse agreed with Lezzy's assessment, "Stand still, and contact the _Archangel_. Find out what exactly is happening."

Lezzy nodded, "I'm on it."

"Make it quick!" Mu added as Neo retreated along with the rest of the Zero Squadron, "I believe they have something up their sleeves. Having their best troops retreating isn't a logical move in the middle of a heated battle."

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Murrue was all tensed up as she saluted Grayson, "Thank you, sir, for granting our request."

"Don't be too grateful yet. I just stopped the attack to have a little talk with you. By no means are your crimes pardoned," Grayson's words did little to comfort her, but his willingness to talk at least kept their hopes of surviving alive, "I've read your message. What proof do you have to make such a claim?"

The cover up by the corrupted higher ups left little evidence to support them, but Murrue wasn't giving up just yet, "We don't have much proof. All I can say is that we were certainly attacked by Rheinland forces in Juneau, and that Garcia was in league with them. We also have an LSF officer on board who can certify that there is indeed a mole within the Liberty ranks."

"LSF officer? You meant Lieutenant Jun'ko Zane, right?" Grayson's reply startled Murrue. It seemed that he was well informed of their status. Seeing Murrue's surprised face, Grayson continued without waiting for her response, "Do you expect me to believe the words of a first class criminal? Just for your information, all of you have a bounty attached to your names. Stealing military secrets is not as small a matter as you were led to believe."

Murrue blinked at the shocking nature of the words spoken by Admiral Grayson, "Stealing military secrets? But sir, we were protecting them! Please investigate further! We're innocent!"

"Innocent? There is nothing to show your innocence, especially when you have a couple of terrorists from The Order fighting alongside you," Grayson made no effort to mince his words.

"Sir, I can explain..." Murrue rose to their defense, but was interrupted immediately.

"What can you say now? All the evidences are against you!" firm and unmoving, Grayson upped his case a notch further as Murrue seemed lost for words, "The destruction of Juneau and the subsequent theft of the _Archangel_ and the GAT-X107 Strike all but prove your crimes! Disseminating almost all of the 8th fleet only serves to amplify your traitorous actions!"

"With all due respect, sir, Admiral Garcia was fighting alongside Rheinlanders!" disregarding her lower rank, Juni placed their survival to be of higher priority and joined the conversation. "Doesn't the sudden disappearance of so many LSF senior officers intrigue you one bit? How about the fact that the _Endymion, _which is currently listed as missing, actually appeared before your eyes just moments ago? Anyone with enough common sense will be able to smell a conspiracy lurking within the shadows, and it's certainly not a good one!"

Admiral Grayson tightened his grip on the receiver as Juni's words seemed to make sense. He had always felt uneasy about the recent changes happening within Liberty's high command and was thoroughly at her claims. In a quick reversal, his current mission did not appear to be as straightforward as he had earlier thought. He was, however, still not convinced entirely by Juni's words, preferring to believe solid evidence more than Juni's information. "You said that Rheinlanders were responsible for Juneau's attack, and that Admiral Garcia was with them. Did you expect me to believe them without any concrete proof?"

"If you would investigate further in Alaska itself, there will be plenty of evidence lying around," solid proof was hard to produce and Murrue had only this answer to give. Deep inside, she prayed that her answer would buy them some time.

"And I will certainly do that, Lieutenant Ramius. I, for one, am curious to find out the truth as well," Grayson seemed to look like he was being swayed by Murrue and Juni's words, but he still held firm to his earlier stand, "Orders are orders, though. Destroying the Archangel is what I have to do. You can forget about getting away!"

Not a reply she had hoped for, but Murrue still felt a glimmer of hope for the _Archangel_ and its crew. She swiftly tried to win Grayson over, "Sir, there really is a traitor in Liberty. Please believe us. We have to warn the President before it is too late!"

"So you're using the President against me now? Pretty bold for a bunch of criminals like you!" A few seconds of silence then ensued before Grayson made his final decision, "Enough said. I will not show any mercy. The _Archangel_ will be destroyed. As for your claims, I will certainly conduct my own investigations."

Murrue was close to collapsing when she heard Grayson's words, "In the end, we still have to fight. Honestly, what are our chances of surviving this ordeal?"

Just as everyone got ready for their last stand, Grayson delivered a message that gave them a glimmer of hope, "However, the attack will only commence in ten minutes time. Prepare yourselves by then."

"Ten minutes?" Murrue stared blankly at him.

Grayson's face still bore a stern expression as before, "Do I need to repeat myself twice? I said ten minutes. Do whatever you want within these ten minutes. I will not hold back after that."

"Why?" Murrue could not believe her ears.

"Call it my gut feeling, but something tells me there is more than what meets the eye," in no mood to elaborate further, Grayson broke off the connection straight after.

Natarle looked up from her position, as did the rest of the crew, "Captain... what do we..."

"What else can we do?" Murrue replied firmly even as she tried to comprehend the unexpected turn of events, "Have everyone head for the hanger. Inform General Marian as well."

* * *

_**Archangel**_** Hanger, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

"We've got confirmation! All hands are to abandon ship!" Murdoch shouted across the hanger.

"The Dromedaries are ready!" one of the mechanics replied.

"Good! Start their engines and prepare to take off!" Murdoch then turned to Tolle who had just run into the hanger along with Sinclair, "Can you pilot one of them? Neumann will take the other!"

"Leave it to me!" Tolle jumped into the Dromedary freighter immediately.

Murdoch wiped off his perspiration as he looked at the two freighters Hanse insisted they brought along. Specifically modified to allow for up to four mobile suits to be stored at the back, the two freighters were used by The Order as a mean of transportation. Murdoch could not believe Hanse's foresight in bringing them in. "Well, got to hand it to him. These two freighters sure saved our asses."

* * *

_**Arizona**_** Bridge, Near Alaska Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Texas System**

* * *

Ian Lee looked at Grayson, puzzled. He had no way of guessing such an outcome as his commander patiently waited for the ten minutes to pass. "Sir, are you really letting them off?"

"Your gut feeling? What a lie, commander," having just returned to the bridge, Neo was the only one who knew of Grayson's true intentions.

"To be honest, aside from following orders, the part about my gut feelings was partly true," Grayson replied, his firm voice implying how serious he was. He then stood up and gave the next order, "Track their every movement, Neo. Do not miss even the smallest of details."

"Roger that," Neo saluted and left the bridge, not missing even a second in executing Grayson's orders.

Walking up to the front of the bridge, Grayson said nothing. No words; not even a hint of emotion. All he did was to give a slight nod. Looking into the forlorn depths of deep space, his eyes narrowed at his thought. _Let's see what you've got, Murrue Ramius. I'll watch your every movement from now on, and I'll be the one to issue judgment on you. No one, not one soul, will ever escape from my absolute justice._

_**End of Chapter 14**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges**_

* * *

_**Rau's trap worked to perfection as the Archangel is as good as gone. It was only Grayson's last minute turnabout that their lives were spared, though the same could not be said of the Archangel. With the Archangel certain to be destroyed, how will Kira and the rest make their next move? Will Kira and Tolle get the chance to escape from this fiasco and return to their peaceful days in Leeds?**_

_**Well, it was certainly a bold decision, but I decided to destroy the Archangel. I know its rarely seen in any fic to have the Archangel taken down so early in the story, but I'm doing it since its not the focus of the story. To be honest, its time the "invincible" legged ship goes down. Besides, it will be more fun for Kira and co. to run about without a battleship. It's pretty hard to run about in a large battleship without attracting attention anyway. Don't worry; this will not be the last you see of the Archangel class. Hope you all can accept this twist in the plot. **_

_**Do give me your comments on this chapter since I'm not sure if I really did it appropraitely for this chapter. I also apologize for the lateness as I was quite busy with a part time job and had very little free time on my hands. Thanks for reading!**_


	18. Ch 15: Escape from Liberty

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 15: Escape from Liberty**

* * *

_--The Independent System: Hudson (Part 2)--_

_With rising crime problems in Bering in 720, trade was suffering greatly. Adding to the fact that Rheinland's economy was already in shambles, negotiations were soon conducted with Liberty. With Interspace Commerce writing off huge losses, Liberty graciously agreed to fund the construction of a new jump-gate path and trade lane route through Hudson, if Rheinland would agree to the eventual annexation of the space by the Liberty government. Eventually, manufacturing would be removed from Liberty space and relocated to the Hudson System. It would become the Sirius sector's dominant manufacturing center, using its proximity to Rheinland space to produce products of all sorts, competitive with Kusari, with no fixed labor costs outside of food and basic shelter for the workers._

_That was the plan, anyway. The new route was opened in 730, and almost immediately it went off track. The Unioners discovered a jump-hole from Bering into the system within 5 years, and renewed their attacks. By 770, the Xenos had discovered the jump-hole from Texas, and established their primary headquarters in Hudson. Over the last thirty years, rogues from Texas have also drifted in, and established a second small base. Hudson is now one of the most crime-ridden systems near Liberty space. Terra-forming plans have been temporarily shelved, as the Xenos destroyed the first Planetform Inc. survey ship that entered orbit around the planet in 771. Planetform Inc. refuses to reenter the system until it is more secure. Little development was made in Hudson until the construction of Junius Seven in orbit of Atka, a move that eventually culminated to the brief but disastrous Bloody Valentine War in 799. _

* * *

**Trade Lane, Edge of Badlands, Sector 5D, New York System**

* * *

"Lady Lacus! We must hurry!"

"I know," Lacus Clyne nodded as she made her way towards her frantic manager. "What is happening?" she asked.

"Liberty Rogues! They are attacking us! You need to board the evacuation pod just in case!" he explained hastily as Lacus peered out of the window. She easily picked out a few Rogue fighters approaching from within the Badlands, clearly with ill intentions. A close distance away were the Trade Lane gantries that were supposed to lead them to West Point, but were disrupted by the Rogues in an attempt to loot them.

_(Note: The Badlands is New York's most crime ridden sector. The dense asteroid field here reduces sensor efficiency and with the main base of the Liberty Rogues, Buffalo Base, hidden within it, is an extremely dangerous part of Liberty.)_

A strange sight puzzled Lacus, "Strange. Where are our escorts?" she found it puzzling that the GINNs escorting the shuttle were no where to be seen. If they were really under attack, the GINNs should by right be surrounding them in defense.

"Lady Lacus! Please enter the evacuation pod!" pushing the clueless lass into the pod, her manager shut the hatch and hurriedly punched the necessary instructions into the pod's computer. Lacus' safety was paramount and the manager had no time to address her previous question. The evacuation pod should eject immediately should the shuttle be destroyed. Turning to see if what Lacus had observed was true, he was visibly shocked when he found himself staring down the barrels of Bloodhound fighter's guns. To make matters worst, the shuttle was going deeper into the Badlands with not one GINN in sight.

"Impossible? How did the Rogues managed to get past our defenses?" he trembled in helplessness as a blinding flash enveloped his vision. With just a single shot, the Bloodhound fighter took out the shuttle, causing the evacuation pod to eject in the process.

* * *

**Dromedary 1****, New York Jump Hole, Sector 3D, Texas System**

* * *

"Will we make it?" hopelessness was plastered all over Sinclair's face as she leaned against the cold steel wall of the Dromedary's cockpit. She looked over at Juni who gave her a clueless look – not one soul in the freighter had any idea of their fates.

With Tolle as the freighter's pilot, Juni and Sinclair were the only ones free in the cockpit. Kira, Mu and Cagalli were on standby in their machines, while Murdoch and a group of mechanics were expectedly busy in the cargo hold. Humming one of Lacus Clyne's songs to distract him from all that had happened so far, Tolle tried his hardest to conceal his sweaty hands. Brushing so close with death was not what he had signed up for when he left Leeds for the riches that were supposedly in abundance in the Border Worlds.

Juni glanced out of the window and sighed in deep worry, "Honestly, will we be able to escape from Liberty? The Navy will surely have kept all jump holes under tight scrutiny."

"So we're going to die?" Sinclair seemed to share the same amount, or lack of, optimism at their plan to escape Liberty via the Magellan System. Juni had known about an abandoned jump gate right in the Badlands that led directly to Magellan. The only problem was how to get there in one piece.

"We're going to make it," breaking his silence for the first time, Tolle was refusing to give up even though he wasn't at all confident of their chances. He accelerated the freighter as the familiar glow of a jump hole came into view, "That will take us to New York, won't it?"

Juni merely nodded her head. Even her years of experience out in the field counted for little in such a precarious situation. Without the _Archangel_, they would be stranded should the enemy discover them. She took a deep breath and offered to take over Tolle's role, "I'll take it from here. You should rest for now; we'll need you to fight should the enemy catch up."

"Sure?" Tolle was a little worried for Juni, but he got up anyway, "Thanks for the switch."

"My pleasure."

* * *

**Planetform Office, Planet Pittsburg, Sector 2F, New York System, Liberty**

* * *

Darren Boucher shifted the pupils of his eyes as the telephone rang. Slightly irritated at the untimely call, considering that he was in the midst of drawing up a plan for a potential multi-billion deal, Darren let out a soft grunt and picked up the receiver. He did not fail to express his annoyance as it was his secretary on the line, "What is it? Make it quick, I'm pretty busy now."

"Sorry to bother you, Darren," the secretary's sweet voice never failed to calm the busy man down, "But Mr. Schnetzler has arrived."

Darren jumped at the reply, and then followed it with a slight grin.

The CEO of Planetform Inc, the only company in the whole of Sirius capable of turning previously inhabitable planets into viable ones, Darren was certainly a man of great success. Few have not heard of his name, often publicized in prestigious magazines and well known among the rich and important. From his rise as a mere engineer in the company forty years ago to his current stature, Darren only had one motto in his life – success at all costs. A terra-forming genius and a shrewd business man, Darren was at the top of his game. Yet, he never found his current success satisfying. He wanted more; there can never be enough. And now, he was close to achieving a deal that could eclipse any other he had ever done before.

"Invite him in, quick!" the phone call wasn't a bother all of a sudden as Darren hastily straightened his suit. The very key to the biggest deal of his life was right at his door steps and Darren was in no mood to miss it. He rushed to take out the priciest wine in the room and before long, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Darren said.

The door seemed to swing open in slow motion as the secretary ushered the important guest into the office.

"Welcome, Mr. Snhnetzler!" Darren was all smiles as Roman Schnetzler stepped in. "How was your meeting with the Liberty authorities?"

"It's good to see you in high spirits, Mr. Boucher. As for the meeting, the LPI expectedly refused to budge when it comes to providing additional protection for Rheinland vessels in Liberty," Roman exchanged greetings with Darren and sat down on a leather sofa adjacent to the work desk. He graciously accepted a glass of wine from the host and spent a few seconds savoring it.

Not wasting a moment, Darren whipped out a disk and passed it to Roman, "Inside it are the plans for the terra-forming of Atka. It isn't easy, but not impossible. As long as Rheinland provide us with the necessary resources and protection, we will definitely be able to complete the assignment."

Roman nodded at Darren's confidence, "Excellent, just as I would expect from you. I believe this would be the start of a long and beneficial partnership."

Despite his confidence and enthusiasm for the project, Darren had a lingering doubt screaming to be clarified, "However, Mr. Schnetzler, will Liberty really approve of this? I am sure they will not stay silent should the project go ahead as planned."

"Don't worry about it," Roman smiled as he fully anticipated such a question, "By the time we initiate the terra-forming process, Liberty will be in no position to oppose us. You do the technical part, Mr. Boucher. Leave the political bickering to us."

The deal looked all but secured, and Darren was in cloud nine. This was the transaction he had always dreamed about. Roman, however, had one more condition, "Just a reminder, Mr. Boucher. This deal is only between the Rheinland government and you. No one else should have knowledge of it. Am I understood?"

"Trust me on this," Darren assured his valued guest, "This project will be kept secret until you say so."

"You make an excellent partner, Mr. Boucher," Roman smiled and nodded in approval. Everything was going according to his plans. "Now, shall we get into the details?"

* * *

**Trade Lane, Edge of Badlands, Sector 6D, New York System**

* * *

The battered remains of a Bloodhound Light Fighter floated past his own heavy fighter. Another went by a few seconds later, then another.

Damian Graves took a deep breath and exhaled. His skin was turning red with anger and his lungs were ready to burst at any moment. The veteran Rogue pilot turned to the last surviving fighter of the ill fated patrol wing and hooked up with the silent rookie, "What happened? Was it the Navy?"

"It wasn't them," the young pilot's voice trembled as he was questioned. Damian did not exactly have a very friendly reputation. His brutality was feared even among his fellow Rogues, "We hacked into the trade lane after detecting an entourage heading to Manhattan via West Point."

"And? Who were they?" Damian asked in a low but threatening voice, struggling constantly to control his rage, "Bounty hunters?"

"GINNs. Rheinland," the pilot replied in fear. He shuddered as Damian gave no reply. The veteran pilot's silence only made the situation looked worst for the rookie.

"Rheinland?" Damian wasn't surprised that his charges engaged with Rheinland forces; what intrigued him that he was still left alive, "You fought against GINNs, right? How the heck did you survive? What happened to the GINNs?"

The rookie Rogue gulped as Damian's guns shifted towards his direction. He knew that death was certain if an unsatisfactory answer was provided, "The rest of them fought and were easily destroyed by the GINNs. I escaped when the GINNs just took off for no reason."

Damian widened his eyes at the reply, "Took off for no reason?" he thundered, "Are you trying to be funny!?" the young pilot's shriek was heard over the radio as Damian raised his voice at the seemingly stupendous answer.

"I swear! I'm telling the truth!" the terrified chap raised his arms in fear as Damian's guns stared menacingly at him, "We managed to gun down the shuttle too! The escape pod should be somewhere around here!"

The young pilot stiffened as another period of uneasy silence followed. He got ready for another torrent of words from Damian. He duly got it.

"You managed to gun down the shuttle? How did you idiots do it with GINNs protecting it?" Damian's bellowing voice was increasing by the minute, "And who would shoot down the shuttle? You're supposed to loot it, you dumbass!"

"It was more like they allowed us to. The shuttle was unprotected when we came out from hiding to take it," the rookie added as he tried every way possible way to save his own skin, "We were surprised at first, but the GINNs ambushed us straight after the shuttle was destroyed. Everyone was taken by surprise!"

Damian shook his head in disbelief. He found it hard to believe that the GINNs left the shuttle unprotected only to emerge when it was destroyed. Furthermore, they actually chose to let one of the attackers survive.

"Fine!" Damian had enough and he proceeded to obtain one last information, "Where is the escape pod?"

"South! It went south, towards the Texas Jump Hole," the rookie replied, hoping the last bit of information would save his life.

_South? There is a patrol group stationed there. I should contact them._ Feeling his thumbs over the trigger, Damian was about to make the young rookie pay dearly for his mistake when a plea for help filled the radio.

"We're under attack!" the radio was buzzing as Damian listened to the desperate cries, "We're fighting unidentified units! They're mobile suits, but not GINNs!"

"Unidentified units? Mobile suits that are not GINNs? What the heck are you talking about?" Damian roared in frustration as the day went for the worst.

"Eh... sir? What should we do?"

"Get to the jump hole now! One of our patrol group's under attack!" sparing the young pilot's life for now, the charged up veteran floored and thrusters and made his way to the jump hole. Whoever was ruining his day was going to pay, dearly.

* * *

**Open Space, Texas Jump Hole, Sector 7E, New York System**

* * *

"Why does this have to happen?" Cagalli snarled even as she happily pelted a hapless Bloodhound light fighter with countless bullets, "First, three freaking GINNs appeared from out of no where. Then the Liberty Rogues just magically decided to pop out!"

Mu pulled alongside her GINN HM and destroyed another Rogue fighter that tried to approach from the rear, "Wrong place, wrong time." The ace pilot then released the Moebius Zero's wired barrels and proceeded to give hell for a couple of Rogue fighters.

"Three left!" Kira was constantly keeping count on the number of enemies as he easily sliced off the wing of an enemy fighter with the beam saber. Unlike the previous occasion when he had to fight in a Starflier, Kira was having no problems dealing with the inferior Bloodhound light fighters. In fact, they were far easier opponents compared to the GINNs they had encountered just moments earlier.

Just as it looked like Kira had finally taken care of the last remaining Rogue fighter, Juni radioed an unwelcomed message, "Two more Rogue fighters approaching fast! One of them is a Wolfhound heavy fighter!"

"Not again!?" Cagalli groaned in dismay. Kira just accepted it and prepared for another round of combat.

"Wolfhound? Looks like we have an experienced hand here!" Mu twirled his mobile armor around as Damian Gray opened fire without any delay. The Rogue veteran surprised Mu with his intensity as he was pushed back a little by the initial attack. It was, however, a lost cause for Damian as he was also up against the Strike and Moebius Zero. It did not take long for him to realize that a retreat was the best course of action, especially since the young rookie that had followed him was easily taken down by Cagalli.

"Good riddance," not having any compassion for the downed rookie, Damian fired a few missiles at Mu before making a hasty retreat.

"Thankfully, the Rogues aren't the most skillful of enemies," Mu commented as he watched Damian's ship vanishing into the dreaded Badlands, "We should head for the Magellan Jump Gate as soon as possible. Any more clashes and our position might be discovered by the Navy."

"I agree with that," having just entered the system in the second Dromedary, Murrue was surprised to see the battle finished so quickly. She managed to squeeze out a smile as she continued, "Looks like you guys had an easy time. Zeke was itching to terrorize a few Rogue fighters, but it seems you have dashed his hopes."

Cagalli chuckled as she imagined how the usually gung-ho Zeke would react when he realized that he wasn't needed at all, "Let's go back, Kira." She turned the GINN HM back and headed for the Dromedary, but paused when the Strike remained stationary. "Kira, what are you doing?" she asked as the Strike headed towards the opposite direction from where the Dromedary was.

"Wait. I see something," Kira's eyes have spotted a small object floating among the debris and was curious about it. To his surprise, the object turned out to be an escape pod.

Cagalli slapped her forehead in exasperation when she saw him pick the object up, "You can't be serious? Are you really going to take that thing?"

"There might be someone inside! We can't leave it floating in such a dangerous place, can we?" Kira replied in protest.

"Or it might be a trap, like a bomb or something," Juni was never too slow to add a gloomy scenario.

"Forget it, Cagalli," Tolle was all too familiar about Kira's personality, "This guy is a junk collector. He takes in every interesting object that floats in space. He even tried to take in a disused mine a while back when we were still in the Border Worlds, saying that it might be useful."

"Aww... just let him keep it. Maybe there's a genie inside," Mu added jokingly as he overheard the entire conversation. Inside the Dromedary, Juni could only shake her head in disapproval.

* * *

**Canteen, Buffalo Base, Sector F7, New York System**

* * *

Damian Graves bore a sore expression as he entered the dimly lit canteen of Buffalo Base. He might be inside the headquarters of the Liberty Rogues, but unknown to many, the legendary base itself was in a deplorable state. Made up of society's outcasts and slaves to Cardamine, the widely banned drug made by the Outcasts, the Rogues had been extremely unorganized as of late. Damian resented the fact that the higher ups had allowed the Outcasts to lord over them just for a constant supply of Cardamine, not to mention them being labeled as accomplice to one of the most wanted and hated criminal organization in the whole of Sirius. One of the few Rogues not to have succumbed to the allure of Cardamine, Damian was never impressed with the recent influx of Cardamine addicted youngsters who could never get the job done.

"Sir, the commander is looking for you."

Damian twirled his head around and eyed the young Rogue member standing behind him. It was a face he had never seen before, again an indication of how dire a situation the Rogues were in. Nowadays, the number of Rogue casualties had been rising like nobody's business.

"Got it," he brushed the messenger aside and walked way. In a week or so, he might never get to see him again. As a matter of fact, he wasn't even sure if he would still be alive by then.

* * *

**Cargo Hold, Dromedary 1****, Open Space, Sector 7E, New York System**

* * *

"Jeez... I'm really curious to see what you have just brought in, Kira," Tolle cheekily nudged his friend in the elbow as Murdoch was cracking his head on how to open the pod's hatch. The chief mechanic did so successfully seconds later and the hatch opened with a hissing sound.

Everyone from the first Dromedary, as well as Murrue and Natarle who had crossed over from the second freighter, gasped in surprise as a young lady stepped out of the escape pod. With pink hair running down her shoulders and wearing a pink and purple dress, the unexpected arrival was without a doubt honey to every male's eyes. Mu nodded in amazement as well as approval as Kira had taken in more than a genie; she was like a princess.

"Thank you, I appreciate your assistance," the pinked haired princess, oblivious to the bewildered looks on their face, allowed the weightlessness to carry her over everyone. She seemed destined to make a trip up to the ceiling of the cargo hold until Kira stepped up and pulled her down, "Thank you," she smiled sweetly at the blushing brunet.

"You're welcomed," Kira was sure he was trembling as he looked at her, awestruck at how gorgeous she was. For a moment, Kira felt like digging a hole in the floor as the lady's gaze was all ready to melt his heart. He wouldn't do that, of course, for the fear of a grumpy Murdoch killing him with a wrench.

Lacus Clyne looked on in puzzlement as Kira's face turned red with embarrassment. She then realized that Kira was in normal civilian clothing, as was Tolle and Cagalli. Her eyes then turned to a scowling Juni in her LSF uniform, which promptly switched to an ogling Mu, also in a LSF uniform. Murrue and Natarle's Liberty Navy uniforms were blatant giveaways that she wasn't at where she expected she was. The Rheinland pop princess softly yelped in surprise as the revelation that she wasn't in a Rheinland ship hit her.

"This isn't a Rheinland ship?" Lacus was expecting her pod to be picked up by her escorts instead and found this to be a shock, "Am I in a Liberty ship?"

"Well," Murrue was not too sure on how to answer. Telling the adored pop princess of Sirius that she had just boarded a ship on the run did not exactly look the most comforting of answers.

Even in her clueless state, Lacus was able to sense that something seemed amiss. It was okay even if she was in a Liberty ship as she would still be safely escorted to Manhattan or even back to Rheinland if necessary. The look on Murrue's face, however, seemed to suggest that she was in for a ride she had never signed up for.

"We're not exactly the Navy," Mu scratched the back of his head as he tried to give the best possible answer, "but we're not exactly bad guys either."

Mu earned himself a murderous stare from Juni for giving a terrible answer. Murrue shook her head silently.

Lacus gulped, "You're not criminals, are you?"

Murrue slapped her head in helplessness, unsure of how to convince their "guest" that they're not malicious people. She knew picking up the escape pod was a mistake, but having Lacus Clyne inside of it compounded their dire situation. It would be unfair for the innocent pop star to tag along their bumpy and treacherous ride out of Liberty, yet it was downright impossible to hand her over to the authorities given their current state.

Enough was enough. Juni felt that she had to do something and walked over to Lacus, "Miss Clyne, I'm Jun'ko Zane of the LSF. Unfortunately, we're on a highly classified mission and just happened to pick you up. Consider yourself lucky that your evacuation pod was taken in by us instead of some criminals like the Liberty Rogues. I regret to say that we will not be able to contact anybody for the time being, so we will just take you to the nearest Freeport and you're on your own."

"On my own? Oh dear," for a moment, Juni's _impressive_ answer seemed to at least convince Lacus that she wasn't in any danger at all, until one of the neural net monitors in the cargo hold received a system wide announcement issued by the Liberty Navy. As if it wasn't bad enough, the monitor happened to be just beside her.

_To all Liberty bounty hunters and peacekeeping forces, be advised there is a bounty for four suspects wanted for questioning. Sending identity data now. They're armed with several mobile suits and fighters and are extremely dangerous. End transmission._

Juni felt like shooting herself in the head as the photos of Kira, Mu, Murrue and herself were beamed on the monitor. _Damn, who switched on the neural net?_

Lacus could only smile weakly as she realized her precarious position, "Well, I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

* * *

**Commander's Office, Buffalo Base, Sector F7, New York System**

* * *

"You're here."

Damian did not bother to display any formalities to the newly elected base commander, instead choosing to help himself with the comfortable leather couch at the middle of the office. "Yup, I'm here. How's your first week?"

"Not bad. I've been pretty good since the last commander decided to launch a foolish attack on West Point and gifted me this position through his death."

A laugh followed, but one that sounded demeaning instead, "You bastard."

Maximilian Stone maintained his stoic expression, not one bit affected by Damian's remarks. "What's with that hostility I sense from you? I had expected a more welcoming response from someone I fought alongside in my earlier days."

"Yeah, good old days, and to think that after all these years I still can never figure out what's going on in that scheming mind of yours," Damian stood up and headed for the door, his interest clearly not on conversing with the new base commander.

"Don't you hate it? Cardamine, Outcasts?"

Damian stopped in his tracks.

"The four great Houses – Liberty, Rheinland, Bretonia, Kusari. It may look peaceful on the outside, but its all just an illusion."

"And? Did you call me just to say all these?" Damian had the urge to leave the room straightaway, but something within him prevented him from doing so.

Maximilian saw that he had Damian's attention. "How many star systems are there in total?"

"What the...?" Damian though he was hearing the wrong things for a second, "What is this? Question and answer session?"

"Forty-seven known systems and two more that have yet been explored. That brings it to forty-nine in total." Maximilian said.

_Crazy psychopath! He's answering his own questions! _Damian wasn't sure why, but he actually kept his comments to himself. Expletives would normally be spewing out of his mouth in such a situation.

Maximilian observed Damian's bewildered face and knew he had captured his attention for the time being. "One more question for you, Damian. Do you really believe that there are only forty-nine star systems in such a vast universe? Surely, mankind must have discovered more than that, right?"

Damian stood still, unsure of how to respond. He hated to look like a clueless kid in front of Maximilian, but the truth was that he really was clueless.

"Want to know more?"

Damian went back to the leather couch and sat down. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

**Open Space, Magellan Jump Gate, Sector 7D, New York System**

* * *

"Well, here we are," Juni let out a sigh of relief as the jump gate came into view. Having an unexpected guest with them while on the run was far from ideal, but Lacus' somewhat calm response certainly smoothened things a bit.

Cagalli stared at the abandoned jump gate for a moment and questioned its ability to bring them to Magellan safely, "It looks pretty beat up. Are you sure this thing can do the job?"

"Its doing just fine," Juni assured as she punched in a few commands to activate the disused jump gate, "We should be able to reach Magellan in one piece."

"That's comforting to hear," a sweet voice literally caused Juni and Cagalli to jump from their seats. Considering that she was sort of an unwelcomed guest in a freighter hunted by everyone bounty hunter in Sirius, Lacus was certainly in a good mood. She even asked everyone for their names earlier when Kira brought her into the Dromedary's cockpit. Her almost unreal warmth and friendliness had most definitely startled everyone. Lacus' reputation as a sweet lady was, to Juni, a blatant understatement. She was more than that.

"Erm... yeah," was the only reply Cagalli could conjure as the freighter started its docking sequence with the jump gate. Trying her hardest to ignore the ever smiling Lacus, Cagalli carefully brought the freighter forward and in a matter of seconds, the vessel was seemingly sucked into a portal as they appeared to be travelling within a brightly illuminated tube.

* * *

**Dromedary 1, New York Jump Gate, Sector 4D, Magellan System**

* * *

The entire process took all but a few seconds as a bright flash was followed by the view of a cloudy area filled with floating rocks.

"Welcome to Magellan," Juni announced coldly as the freighter sat comfortably in the Magellan System. The coast seemed to be clear for now as the long range sensors did not pick up any hostile units.

"Juni, make best speed to Freeport 4. We have little time to waste," Murrue was quick to remind that they had no time to admire the change of scenery as they were still in a precarious situation. While Magellan was an independent system, the danger posed by Bounty Hunters was still largely intact. They had to quickly resupply at Freeport 4 before making their way to Bretonia.

Their journey to Freeport 4, however, lasted for just a minute as Cagalli picked up a few unknown contacts blocking their path. It took just one look from Juni to identify them.

"Bounty hunters."

_**End of Chapter 15**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges, Damian Graves, Maximilian Stone**_

* * *

_**Kira&Co have managed to escape from Liberty, but their troubles are far from over. With the bounty hunters in their way, how will they fare? And just what exactly does Maximilian Stone, the new commander of Buffalo Base, know that many in Sirius doesn't. **_

_**Here's another chapter. I think this is sort of a transition chapter as I introduced three new characters. Hopefully, the conversations are done well enough. I will be glad if anyone can give me some comments or pointers.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	19. Ch 16: No easy way home

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 16: No Easy Way Home**

* * *

_--Bounty Hunters Guild--_

_The Bounty Hunters Guild is a mercenary organization operating in numerous systems across the Sirius Sector. They are frequently hired by house corporations, police, and militaries to aid in the protection of trade routes or to take on wanted criminals in search-and-destroy missions._

_Bounty Hunters are particularly reviled by criminals because many of them were once pirates themselves. As a result, many hunters know of the various Jump Hole routes frequently used by criminals and employ that knowledge to aid in their assignments._

* * *

**Inside The Barrier, Sector 4D, Magellan System, Independent Worlds**

* * *

_(The Barrier is a massive cloud of ice crystals that covers part of the Magellan System. The scattering effect of the crystals provides excellent concealment for the Lane Hackers to operate in the Magellan System. Traffic passing between Bretonia and Liberty often fall victim to Lane Hacker attacks as a result.)_

"One, two, three..." Tolle scanned his eye across the radar screen and grinned, "Nine heavy fighters. That's all?"

"Well, not the best of welcomes we had hoped for, but they don't seem capable of taking us down when you consider their equipment," Cagalli was in agreement with Tolle, unimpressed at the force assembled before them.

The third to emerge from the Dromedary's cargo hold, Mu had different thoughts on the enemy, "Don't ever underestimate the Bounty Hunters, my younglings. There's a reason why House Police across all four Houses employ them to do their work. Knowing them, there's probably a trap laid out somewhere. Keep your eyes opened."

"One more thing. Don't open fire until they do so first," Zeke added as he pulled alongside Mu, his fingers firmly over the trigger despite what he said, "There's always room for negotiations."

"Got it," Tolle replied.

"Sure won't," Cagalli preferred not to fight in actual fact.

* * *

**Dromedary 2, The Barrier, Sector 4D, Magellan System**

* * *

"Are the four of them sufficient?" Natarle looked on worriedly. Understandable, given that Tolle and Cagalli were not the most experienced of pilots. Handling the Bounty Hunters was not that simple a task.

"It's enough," Murrue stood firm to her earlier decision, despite some disagreements from Natarle, "We can send the rest should this turn out to be part of a bigger trap. With General Marian and Kira on standby, we have a solid backup should things go astray."

"That Hanse Marian," Natarle still wasn't comfortable addressing Hanse as a general, especially since he was an important figure from The Order, "Can we really trust him?"

"I'll rather trust him than them," Murrue understood how her executive officer felt, but now was not the time to ponder over such matters. The enemy was their highest priority. "It's not like we can escape without them, right?"

"Maybe you're right," Natarle had no choice but to agree, "But I still don't feel comfortable fighting alongside them."

Murrue would have tried to allay some of Natarle's doubts if she could, but they did not have the luxury of time. It did not take long for the enemy to make contact with them.

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, this will be your first and final warning. Surrender now and we will spare your lives!"

"Liar! We have a bounty on our heads. They will never let us out of here alive," even with her lack of actual combat experience, Natarle was sharp enough to understand their fates should they not fight back. She did not achieve top grades in military academy for nothing.

"This is Lieutenant Ramius of the Liberty Navy. Please make way!" Murrue replied, hoping for a reprise.

"Negative. You will comply with my orders!" the bounty hunter refused to negotiate.

Knowing that battle was unavoidable, Murrue did not bother to reply them. She immediately contacted Mu on a secured channel, "We'll continue to move towards Freeport 4 while you fend off the bounty hunters. Make it quick."

* * *

**Open Space, The Barrier, Magellan System, Independent Worlds**

* * *

"Roger that," Mu wasn't surprised at Murrue's order. He activated the weapons system while relaying the order to his three companions out there, "Alright guys, time to do our job!"

"Do our job?" Tolle was hoping for a more direct order.

Zeke had no hesitation regarding Mu's message, "It means fire at will, buddy! First kill is mine!"

Placing the crosshairs permanently on one of the Barracuda Heavy Fighters, Zeke had all along expected a far from friendly result the moment they were intercepted by the bounty hunters. True to his words, he eagerly squeezed the trigger and punched a gaping hole into the hull of the targeted enemy with a single shot from each of his fighter ship's twin railguns. As if a signal for the battle to start, the remaining eight bounty hunters reacted immediately and dispersed in an attempt to surround them.

"I have to admit! These guys are good!" Cagalli may be in a superior machine, but the enemy's good use of the low visibility and abundant icy debris limited her to taking the occasional, and unsuccessful, pot shots that led to no where. "How can they do so well in just heavy fighters?"

"Calm down!" Mu knew that Cagalli's frustration and fear of losing was starting to impede her ability to make correct judgments. "You still have the advantage in speed and maneuverability! Make full use of it!"

"Easier said than done!" Tolle was struggling as well. His GINN HM had suffered minor damage to his left arm after he gave too much power to the thrusters and scrapped it against an ice debris. He cut the engines in an attempt to steady the machine, but activated it once again as two Barracuda Heavy Fighters pounced on his mistake and gifted him two salvoes of missiles. He managed to dodge the missiles, but not before wasting more ammunition as he fired the assault rifle aimlessly in a futile effort to destroy the enemies.

His experience showing with another downed enemy, Zeke resolved in his mind to give the two inexperienced youngsters some piloting lesson or two, if they made it out of their current ordeal. "Should have expected it, Mu," he said as Mu's Moebius Zero practically bullied one of the bounty hunters before destroying it with his barrels multi-directional attacks, "These kids have potential; only that they are far from it."

"Take that!" one of the fighters was distracted by Mu's wired gun barrels and Cagalli was quick to pounce on it. Her shot was right on target this time around as the heavy fighter was shredded to pieces.

Not to be outdone, Tolle noticed a Barracuda Heavy Fighter hiding behind a large ice debris, hoping to sneak up on him. Training his crosshairs on the obstacle, he managed to force the enemy to abandon his temporary shield. With the enemy out in the open, Tolle used the GINN HM's speed to close down the distance and sliced it in half with his assault rifle's bayonet without crashing into any ice debris along the way. "Four left!" he shouted triumphantly as the bounty hunters were now at a disadvantage.

The enemy's fighting strength had been reduced by half and things were looking up for them. Mu unleashed his wired gun barrels once more as he gave no respite for the remaining bounty hunters. Victory looked certain until his sensors picked up a faint signal. Horror gripped him when he realized what was happening. "Murrue! Watch your back!"

* * *

**Dromedary 2, The Barrier, Sector 4D, Magellan System**

* * *

"Open the hatch!" Murrue responded immediately as the once faint signal grew stronger. It seemed that there was an additional fighter that had managed to approach them undetected using the cover of the ice cloud.

Natarle watched in dread as the alarms sounded, indicating that the approaching enemy had most probably fired a missile.

"Is General Marian out yet?" Murrue prayed that the cargo hatch would open in time as the missile homed in with great speed, "Natarle, try to target it with the turrets! Release countermeasure flares!"

"I can't! Visibility's too low! I can't get a visual on the missile!" Natarle gritted her teeth in anger as she was down to firing the Dromedary's lone turret into randomness. Coupled with its slow rate of fire, it was obvious that shooting down the missile was close to impossible.

"Three seconds to impact! The hatch won't open in time!" Neumann stiffened his body as he braced himself for impact.

The impact came, but it was lighter than expected. Natarle looked at the system status and found no serious damage to the hull. The Dromedary's cruise engines, however, were completely crippled.

"Damn! Cruise disruptors!" Murrue rued their bad luck as none of the countermeasure flares managed to get the cruise disruptor missiles.

"So they want us alive?" escaping from the enemy was impossible without cruise engines and Neumann came up with the most plausible reason for the enemy's action.

"Well, at least we're still alive!" finally emerging from the cargo hold, Hanse signaled for Natarle to stop firing the Dromedary's turret before heading out to hunt the lone enemy, "Watch out for any slight movements in the sensors. There will certainly be more of them hiding somewhere!"

"Confirmed! Two more squadrons of bounty hunters closing in on our position!" Jacky Tonomura announced.

"Minefield detected ahead!" Chandra added.

"Kira, Lezzy, get out and intercept them!" Murrue ordered.

* * *

**Open Space, The Barrier, Magellan System, Independent Worlds**

* * *

"Last one down!" Zeke had the honor of having the first and last kill, but he wasn't about to relax for one moment. "C'mon! we've got to help them!"

"What about the minefield ahead?" Tolle was eager to help Kira fend off the reinforcements, but the minefield was a worry to him. The Dromedary that was hit did not seem to be in good enough condition to do a detour around the minefield.

Mu ran through several plans in his mind and came up with the best. "Leave them to deal with the reinforcements! We'll have to blast open a path in the minefield for the two freighters to pass through safely. Keep your distance!"

"Idiot bounty hunters!" Cagalli opened fire on the blockade of high explosive mines without hesitation as they blew up one after another like a waltz of dancing lights. She maintained her distance, though, as the chain of fireworks that resulted from the initial blast could very well be a deadly inferno to anyone who dared venture too close.

"Keep it up!" Zeke fired the Defender's entire armament of guns as he tried to take out as many mines as possible. Any slower and they will all be pinned further by the bounty hunters and the minefield, a scenario that would have disastrous results.

"Last one down!" Lezzy's announcement from the group that was fighting the additional bounty hunters was certainly a relief in the tight situation they were in. The bounty hunters were effectively taken out and they could now focus on clearing the minefield.

"Excellent! Now all we have to do is to clear this minefield, then head straight for Freeport 4," Mu said, "Those guys almost had us back there."

* * *

**Dromedary 2, Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

There was no question where Tolle wanted to go now that he was safely in Freeport 4.

"Leeds."

Zeke disagreed. "No way! The top priority now is to warn the President!"

"Going back to Liberty is equals to suicide. There's no way I'll be going back there until everything cools down," Hanse knew that Zeke was eager to stop the rot, but rushing things would do no good to anyone.

"If we delay any further, it may be too late by the time we reach the President!" Zeke was getting impatient at how far they were from reaching their goal.

"Since you're so eager to return to Liberty, why don't you try suggesting a way to reach the President without us being caught?" Juni once again found joy in knocking some sense into Zeke. As good a pilot he may be during a fight, Zeke could sometimes be rather lacking in patience.

"We'll hide out in Bretonia for the time being," Murrue decided to stick to their original plan, "Rheinland probably has spies planted in all major star systems, but we will be safest in Bretonia. We will split up to avoid detection and try to uncover more of their plans. Once a suitable plan is conceived, I will contact everyone. Any objections?"

"Kira and I will go to Leeds," Tolle supported Murrue's suggestion except for one small part, "Just one thing – don't involve us any further."

It wasn't really her intention to squash Tolle's hope of returning to a peaceful lifestyle, but Juni felt that she had to be the one to tell the truth. "You can forget about it, Tolle. The enemy already has Kira's identity. Sooner or later, either Rheinland or Liberty will track him down. It is already too late for Kira to wash his hands off the matter. Judging by how close the both of you are, I seriously doubt you will abandon him, am I right?"

Tolle slumped back to his seat as the cruel truth hit him. Whether he liked it or not, it was far too late to turn back now. He looked at Kira, hoping for some kind of response from him, but the equally demoralized youngster just sat quietly at one corner. It was obvious that the happenings so far had a great impact on him.

"Kira..." Tolle tried to cheer him up, but Mu stopped him from doing so.

"Just let him be. He's been through a lot these few days. In anyway, it's decided that we'll all split up and hide in Bretonia for the time being. That would leave us with one last problem," pointing at the door to the cargo hold, Mu made sure everyone knew what he meant.

Inside the cargo hold was Lacus, along with Murdoch and his band of mechanics. As much as they hate to admit it, handling Lacus was far more taxing than what they would imagine. Leaving her alone in Freeport 4 was far too heartless a thing to do, but taking her along with them would place her in unnecessary danger. Considering all factors together, it seemed clear after a while that they had no choice but to bring her to Bretonia. It was the best option available.

"No choice then. We will have to bring her to Bretonia and leave her there."

With that, Murrue ended the discussion and left the freighter. All she wanted now was to have a nice drink at the bar before setting off again.

* * *

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Hidden in Ice Cloud, Magellan System**

* * *

"Commander, when are we making our move?" tapping his foot impatiently, Yzak was perplexed at Rau's refusal to attack the enemy. With the _Archangel_ destroyed, victory was almost assured.

If there was ever a time Rau showed any sort of emotion on his face, it was now. Looking a slight bit bemused at Yzak's edgy behavior, he could not help but scorn at his naivety inwardly. Refusing to let the young ace sway his mind by even an inch, the masked commander simply continued with what he was doing earlier – reading a report written by Rear Admiral Sutherland.

Unfazed at the lack of response from Rau, Yzak continued to argue for his cause, "Commander! Why aren't we attacking now? With the resources we have, it will be..."

"Enough!"

It was Ades who decided to answer instead. "Do not question your orders! There is more to this battle than simply destroying all your enemies."

"What then is our purpose in merely following them? Why aren't we told anything?" Yzak knew it was pretty much useless to try to persuade Rau anymore, but at the very least, he wanted to know the reason.

Without lifting his eyes away from the report, Rau finally spoke. "Top secret orders are issued in secrecy for a very good reason, Yzak Joule. If you want the right to be able to have knowledge of such orders, you'll have to prove your worth. As far as I know, you're still far from that level. Proof to me that you can perform at the highest level, and I might consider you worthy enough to share the most important details of our mission. I do hope my answer is satisfactory."

Yzak could feel his nails biting into his skin as his fists curled in anger. To be indirectly described as being not good enough by Rau was by far one of the worst insults he could ever receive. Being mandatory of a soldier to do so, Yzak saluted Rau before heading for the exit. "I will definitely prove my worth, commander."

"Excellent; I look forward to it," Rau said.

"Commander, was that appropriate? You sounded like you wanted him to do something dangerous," Ades was hoping that Rau wasn't trying to agitate Yzak to the point of committing a foolish error.

Rau smiled, "It'll be interesting."

* * *

**Dromedary 2, Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

Kira stared at the Strike Gundam as he stood alone in the Dromedary's cargo hold. Images of him piloting the machine ran through his mind – the pushing of the trigger, stomping his foot on the pedals when he needed more power from the thrusters, even the very beginning when he rewrote the operating system in record time. All those memories might seem to be achievements to a trained soldier, but for all civilian like him, they held nothing special in Kira's heart.

Then, there was the more distressing issue. Athrun Zala – a name so familiar, yet distant. Kira had no clear memory of who Athrun was exactly, but subconsciously he knew Athrun was close to him, almost like a brother to him. The fact that Athrun was his enemy pained Kira deeply. From the way things were going, it seemed impossible for Kira to uncover the truth behind him. What happened for him to forget Athrun? And since Athrun claimed to know Tolle as well, what happened to cause them to be separated? Was Tobias really their caretaker since they were infants, as claimed by him?

Coordinators – just what exactly was Athrun talking about? He was called a Coordinator several times during their clashes, but Kira had no idea of what it was. _Why must you, a Coordinator, fight against us?_ Athrun's words kept repeating in Kira's mind even as he tried to get rid of them. But the words kept returning, refusing to leave him alone even for a minute.

Kira stumbled backwards and leaned against the wall, his body wet with perspiration. _Maybe I should have Sinclair check me up, to see if I'm really a Coordinator._ Kira thought for a brief second, then decided against it. Sinclair would most likely not know what a Coordinator was.

By now, Kira was already on the ground, hugging his knees as his mind was in a swirl. Nothing seemed to be able to calm him down, not even the prospect of returning to Leeds could help. There was nothing left to do, no one had the ability to sooth his mind and heart, or at least that was what he assumed.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

Kira lifted his head as a sweet voice shook him out from his wrecked state. His mind seemed to clear up as her voice rang through his ears.

"Oh, hello!" Lacus spotted Kira at one corner, but was immediately concerned at how troubled he looked. "Are you alright? Is something troubling you?"

Wiping off his perspiration, Kira mustered enough strength to stand up. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, "But more importantly, what are you doing here? You're supposed to stay in your room. It's not safe for you to be wondering about in this place."

"But staying alone in that room was no fun at all," Lacus seemed to be putting on a playful sulk in Kira's opinion, an act which caused a slight blush on his cheeks. "I prefer to be with everyone where we can eat and talk together. Having my meal alone was not very nice."

Kira sympathized with Lacus' situation, but he knew that it would be dangerous for Lacus to move about unattended in a Freeport. Zoners were generally peaceful folks who would probably not pose any danger to a public figure like Lacus, but the Freeport's open policy of allowing people of all walks of life into their premises meant that a lot of unsavory elements were present in it as well.

"This is a Zoners base after all. There are a lot of criminals who come here to acquire supplies, so you're not exactly in a very safe place," Kira said.

"There's no need to worry about. You will protect me, right? I can see that you're a very kind person," Lacus' replied, her confidence in Kira startling the youngster a bit.

"Thank you," Kira wasn't really in a mood to talk, but somehow he felt comforted just by being beside Lacus.

"You seemed troubled," Lacus had noticed tears swelling in Kira's eyes and could not help but ask a second time.

Kira remained quiet as he struggled against the urge to bare it all to Lacus. Normally, he would not want to share his feelings to someone he just met, but it was different with Lacus. He just felt like she was someone whom he could share his troubles with.

"Well... the truth is that I don't want to fight. All these fighting just don't go well with me. I don't want to fight Athrun..." Kira stopped abruptly as he suddenly felt that he had spoken too much with the mention of Athrun.

Lacus widened her eyes in pleasant surprise, "Athrun? Athrun Zala?"

It was Kira's turn to be surprised this time. "You know him?"

Lacus nodded. "Athrun Zala is the person I will eventually marry."

Kira stared at Lacus, wide mouthed. Arranged marriages were practically unheard of at this age, though there were a couple of politically influenced ones.

"Athrun's a quiet, but kind person," Lacus continued, "I think it's really sad that both of you have to fight each other because of this unfortunate conflict. It would be nice if you two need not fight against each other, right?"

"I wish that will be true, but it doesn't look that way right now," Kira was still pessimistic at what the future holds for him. He took one last look at Lacus before heading for the exit.

"Come, I'll take you to your room. It's not safe for you to be wandering about," he said as Lacus followed obediently, "Besides, Rheinland is technically our enemy. It will not be too nice for you to disobey specific orders by Murrue."

Lacus nodded as she stepped out of the freighter, though she made no effort to conceal her face. "Let's go."

* * *

**Lacus' Room, Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"Have a good rest, Miss Clyne. We'll be setting off to Bretonia in a few hours time," Kira said as he got ready to leave the room.

"Isn't it surprising? I've never expected to see such a cozy room in a Freeport 4. I've been to numerous luxurious suites in hotels all over Sirius, but none of them can match the coziness of this little space in Freeport 4," Lacus gave Kira another of her megawatt smiles as she sat down on the comfortable bed in the middle of the room.

Kira wasn't exactly sure on how to respond. He quickened his pace and was outside the room in a flash. "Have a good rest," he waved goodbye and reached out to close the door.

"Aren't you going to accompany me a little longer?" slight disappointment was shown on Lacus' face as she tried to prolong their conversation.

Kira blushed, once again. "Well... it's not a good idea, Miss Clyne."

"Just call me Lacus!" Lacus let out a soft giggle at how formal Kira was towards her.

"Err..." Kira was fumbling for words as his heart pounded, "Miss Lacus..."

Lacus giggled again, her sweet and innocent smile causing the already red face brunet to blush even further.

"I'm going off," Kira was getting embarrassed and was eager to go, "See you later."

Lacus unwillingly nodded her head as she had hoped to have a longer conversation with Kira. "Don't worry, Kira. Everything will turn out fine," she said as the door was closed.

Kira stood in front of the closed door for a few seconds as he pondered about her words. _Everything will turn out fine?_ Her words seemed too good to be true, but inside him, Kira felt a rekindling of the tiny hope that life would soon return to normal. His face brightened a little as Kira walked back to his own room. Maybe things weren't as bad as he thought.

* * *

_**Vesalius**_** Hanger, Hidden in Ice Cloud, Magellan System**

* * *

"Yzak! This _is_ a bad idea!" Dearka tried to inject some sense into his friend, but only ended up being dragged further into the pit.

"Shut up! I will definitely defeat Kira Yamato! If the commander doesn't want to do anything about it, then I will!" pushing Dearka aside, Yzak stormed into the hanger, not caring if his friend was going to be on his side or not.

"We're defying orders if we launch now!" Dearka was hoping that Yzak would change his mind, but it was futile.

"Stay here if you want!"

With that, Yzak forced himself past a few mechanics who happened to be there and climbed into the cockpit of the Duel Gundam. Ignoring the numerous pleas by the mechanics to exit the Duel, he started up the operating system and closed the hatch. Not wasting any time at all, he directed the mobile suit towards the launch pad and pointed the beam rifle at it.

"Open the hatch or I'll blast through it!" Yzak roared.

"Are you crazy? Get out of the machine!" the chief mechanic's words fell on deaf ears as the Duel edged closer to the hatch. Seeing that Yzak was really serious about punching his way through, the chief mechanics unwillingly opened the hatch and allowed Yzak to go through the launch sequence.

Dearka just watched in silence as the Duel shot out into space. "My my, what should I do now?"

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" the chief mechanic ranted, "And what are you going to do?"

Dearka eyed the Buster for a second and made his choice, "Guess I'll just have to follow him. Someone's gotta stop him, right?"

"You better!" the chief mechanic signaled for the Buster to be ready, "Commander Le Creuset will be extremely displeased at what has just happened. Make sure Yzak doesn't do anything foolish."

"Got it," Dearka nodded and climbed into the cockpit and was ready to launch soon after.

"Dearka Elsman, Buster, launching!"

* * *

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Hidden in Ice Cloud, Magellan System**

* * *

"What? The Duel launched?" Ades could not believe that Yzak really went out without orders, "And Dearka went after him?"

"He really went," Rau had expected such a thing to happen and wasn't surprised by the news.

"Commander! It will be a big problem if Yzak attacks Freeport 4 in the open!" Ades had no idea why Rau was still so calm at such a point, "Attacking the Zoners will definitely bring about a great backlash from across the four Houses!"

_(Note: In the original Freelancer game, Freeport 4 is originally owned by the IMG, a faction that I do not intend to include in this story. Since the other Freeports are all owned by the Zoners, I decided that Freeport 4 will also be a Zoners base.)_

Rau stood up and headed for the exit. "We're in the Magellan System in secret anyway. No one knows we're here in the first place. Decimate the whole place – leave no evidence. Inform all pilots to meet me in the hanger straightaway. Set course for Freeport 4."

"Decimate?" Ades did not feel comfortable at Rau's choice of words, but his intentions were all too clear – the dead can't speak.

* * *

**Landing Deck, Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"No harm trying, right?" Sinclair gave her most convincing look as she stared at Tolle.

"Alright!" Tolle gave up and listened to Sinclair, "I'll let that Quintane guy check on me, ok? Quit putting your face so close to mine!"

"That's the way!" Juni nodded approvingly, "Don't worry. Sinclair and I will do the searching."

"Yeah, I will accompany you once they find him, ok?" Kira added, much to the annoyance of Tolle.

"C'mon guys! Not much time to waste!" Zeke signaled from them to hurry up as he stepped into the cockpit of an Eagle VHF. Cagalli had somehow managed to acquire it along with a Rhino freighter earlier, though no one knew how she got them.

Hanse, Lezzy and Cagalli would take one of the Dromedaries along with three GINN HMs and return to the Order's base to gather more allies. Murrue, Mu, Zeke and the rest of the _Archangel_ crew would take the other Dromedary and head to Cambridge. The rest of them, along with Lacus, would take the Rhino and head to Leeds.

"Take care," Cagalli waved goodbye to Kira and Tolle, but was stopped just as she was about to board the Dromedary, "What the..."

"That's as far as you can go, Cagalli. It took me long enough to find you."

Zeke immediately kept his hands to a pistol hidden inside his jacket, ready to whip it out at any moment. Lezzy was even more direct – she already had her pistol pointed at the stranger's head.

"Relax guys, I know him," Cagalli recognized the stranger's voice from the start and could only give everyone an apologetic face for the false alarm. "And hello, Kisaka," she murmured meekly as she turned around.

"You know him?" Lezzy asked as she continued to point the gun at Kisaka.

"Where have you been? Everyone's worried about you, especially your father," Kisaka asked, more concerned about Cagalli than the gun pointed at his head.

"What I'm doing is none of your business!" Cagalli growled. She was tired of being told on what to do by her father.

"Cagalli! Stop trying to do things your own way!" Kisaka tried to persuade Cagalli to return home, but was met with even more resistance.

"You expect me to believe my father after what happened to Freeport 7?"

"Cagalli..." Kisaka was stumped for words for a moment.

"I'm not going back!" stubbornly refusing to listen to Kisaka, Cagalli turned back and headed for the Dromedary.

Kisaka wasn't about to give up, though. "At least allow me to be by your side! Things can get really dangerous out there!"

"Feel free," Hanse did not seem to mind Kisaka's presence.

"What?" it was Cagalli's turn to be stump for words, "Urgh! Whatever!"

"Err... what was that? Family dispute?" Tolle could have sworn that he saw smoke coming out from Cagalli's ears as she furiously stomped into the Dromedary. Kisaka just acted like nothing had happened and coolly followed her in.

"Maybe," Kira replied, "But that muscular guy doesn't look one bit like Cagalli. Are you sure they're family?"

"Hey! Get in and stop being busybodies!" Juni shouted from inside the Rhino freighter, eager to start their journey to Leeds.

"Alright, time to go. Make sure we survive to..." Mu was just about to give the last instructions when the landing deck shook violently.

_Warning! Warning! Unknown units have breached the defense perimeter. All personnel, man all stations._

"No time to waste! Get out of here quickly!" strapping himself up and powering up his Eagle VHF, Zeke soon lifted his fighter off the deck and was the first one out. The rest followed suit as the attacks grew stronger.

* * *

**Open Space, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"Yzak! What are you trying to do?" Dearka could not believe that Yzak actually fired on Freeport 4.

"They failed to comply with my orders!"

Not caring about the consequences that would follow after his indiscriminate attack on civilian property, Yzak continued to bore holes on the station's massive frame with the Duel's beam rifle. Repeated attempts by Dearka to stop him only worsened the situation as Yzak intensified his attacks.

"Are you crazy?" Dearka always thought that Yzak was brash, but not to the point of doing something as daring as attacking a civilian outpost in independent space.

"Just help me with it! Trust me, the commander will be joining in the attack soon!" Yzak continued firing away as he spoke. The fighters sent out by the Zoners were simply no match for him.

"How can you be so sure?" Dearka asked.

"The commander was looking for an excuse to attack, you dumbass! He couldn't find any, so he indirectly coaxed me into being the excuse! Since he wanted it, then I'll gladly be that excuse he wanted so badly, as long as I have Kira Yamato's head!"

Spotting an Eagle VHF that tried to approach him from behind, Yzak twirled the Duel around and gave it a taste of countless rounds as he fired the head mounted CIWS. Almost immediately, a pair of fighters tried to approach him behind the cover of a salvo of missile earlier fired by them. Once again, Yzak proved superior as he dodged the missiles before slicing one of them with his beam sabers. Moving left and right, he easily avoided the remaining fighter's desperate attempts before destroying it with an accurate shot from the beam rifle. Within minutes of the battle starting, Freeport 4's defenses were down to half its initial strength. Everything was going smoothly as Kira would definitely be forced to at least defend himself in such a situation. Now all that was left was for the _Vesalius_ to arrive and apply the finishing blow.

* * *

_**Vesalius**_** Bridge, Approaching Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"Sir, we will be entering firing range soon!"

The large structure of Freeport 4 began to grow as the _Vesalius _edged closer towards it. Following the orders of Rau, GINNs began to surge forward as they neared firing range. Coming out next were Athrun and Nicol as their stolen mobile suits sped towards the target. Last to emerge was Rau in his CGUE and once all mobile suits were out, Ades focused his attention on taking down Freeport 4.

"Aim main cannons at Freeport 4!" Ades waited until the path was clear before continuing his orders, "Fire!"

Ades frowned as a part of Freeport 4 splintered off from the main structure, the damage from the hit too much to bear. A second volley from the _Vesalius'_ cannons destroyed one of the hangers of Freeport 4 and further reduced the Zoners Base's ability to fight back.

_Commander, aren't we ordered to follow them? We're not supposed to kill them off yet. What are you thinking?_ Ades thought as he ordered for more strikes against the Zoners base. The situation was certainly proceeding in an unexpected direction.

_**End of Chapter 16**_

* * *

_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges, Damian Graves, Maximilian Stone**_

* * *

_**The bounty hunters were quickly taken of by Kira & Co., making their way to Freeport 4 safely. Kira had a short conversation with Lacus, but will Kira's situation turned out better as she had said? Kisaka also makes his appearance – apparently, he had a tough time searching for Cagalli, took him 16 chapters! Lastly, with Rau lurking somewhere in Magellan, you can be sure that Kira & Co. won't find their escape to Bretonia a smooth ride.**_

_**There you have it. I certainly hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to describe the conversation between Kira and Lacus as best I could, but I still find that more can be done. I will be grateful if anyone can comment on how well (or badly) I handled that part. Of course, with Rau unexpectedly disobeying orders and ordering a strike on Freeport 4, there will be a massive battle coming up in the next chapter, so watch out for it.**_

_**Last but no least, thanks for reading!**_


	20. Ch 17: Confrontation from the Past

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 17: Confrontation from the Past**

* * *

_-- Schultzky's Assassination Culprits confirmed to be The Order!--_

_One week after the shocking assassination of Admiral Schultzky in Liberty Space, LSF investigators have released a statement regarding the identity of the culprit. Coming as no surprise, the LSF has confirmed the terrorist organization, The Order, as the one responsible. Known for his tough stance against criminal organizations back in Rheinland, Admiral Schultzky's hardliner approach has most likely enraged those within The Order, thus resulting in his demise. It is believed that Schultzky had gotten hold of several important information regarding The Order and had intended to pass them to Liberty during his scheduled meeting with the President. It is therefore logical for The Order to eliminate him before he does so. Moreover, a successful raid against a suspected Order outpost by Rheinland commandos in Sigma 13 uncovered several stolen GINNs. While it is unknown how the GINNs were stolen, their presence all but proves their guilt._

* * *

**Open Space, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

An unarmed shuttle, clearly an escape vessel carrying innocent civilians, hurtled out of control and crashed into the battered frame of Freeport 4. It was reduced into a ball of fiery flames upon impact as the helpless passengers inside lost their lives in an instant. A few seconds later, an Eagle VHF belonging to the Zoners found its body bearing a hole as a beam shot punched through it. The metal body of the fighter crumbled before exploding, its shattered pieces consigned to being nothing more than floating debris in space. It did not matter where he looked – destruction was everywhere. Kira resented the very fact that lives were being extinguished right before him because of no fault of theirs. He resented it, and could no longer take it.

"Stop it! It's us you want, right? Then attack me! Don't involve them any further! They're innocent!"

The alarm sounded and Kira instinctively held up the shield, deflecting a beam shot that can from above him. He looked up and there was it – the Duel Gundam. A hurried attempt to bring it down was unsuccessful as Kira's aim was off by a few inches; the opponent somehow seemed able to predict when he would push the trigger.

"Innocent? They're far from innocent, and they will pay for it!" Yzak did not have the same sentiments for the Zoners and any unfortunate civilians who happened to be there. He had long considered the Zoners as dangerous enemies ever since he knew that they were involved in the construction of the G-Weapons. As for the rest, their fates were long decided when Yzak allowed his fury to take charge of his actions.

"Kira! More Rheinland troops arriving!" Tolle was already having his handful fighting against the Buster Gundam when the scanners picked up more enemies.

_More Rheinland troops coming? Could Athrun be among them?_ A slight moment of thought and Kira soon found himself pinned down by Yzak.

"Hah! Is that how you fight?" swiping down for the head of the Strike using his beam saber, Yzak was quick to take advantage of Kira's mistake. Without missing a beat, he followed with a kick in the Strike's shield after the previous attack was parried, sending it smashing into a large debris that had separated from Freeport 4 during the battle.

"I won't be defeated here!" refusing to give up, Kira grabbed hold of a stray metal panel and used it to deflect a stabbing movement by Yzak, directing the beam saber just inches from the Strike's center portion. Activating his own beam saber, Kira drove it through the metal panel, hoping to catch Yzak unaware. It did not hit, but at least forced the Duel to back off.

"Shit! He's getting better by the minute. I have to step up my game or this fight will never end," making sure not to let down his guard, Yzak opened up a slight distance as he geared up for another round of attack.

* * *

**Rhino Freighter, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"No way! We're goners!" Sinclair felt that it was as good as over for them when she saw the _Vesalius_ opened fire at them.

"Kira! Tolle! Return now! We're making a run for the jump hole!" Juni saw that a fight against the Rheinlanders would reap no benefits and decided that a retreat was the best course of action.

Up till now, Yzak and Dearka had mostly concentrated their firepower on armed defenders and Freeport 4 itself. The arrival of the _Vesalius_, however, meant that they were no longer safe from enemy fire. The Strike's phase shift armor would not last in a prolonged fight whereas Tolle's GINN HM would struggle to match the G-Weapons both offensively and defensively. Zeke was already forced to withdraw from the battle after suffering a serious hit by the _Vesalius'_ missiles. Hanse and Lezzy were being kept busy by the Blitz while Mu was standing on a thin line fighting the Aegis. If things were to keep up, they would all be wiped off before they could even begin their journey to Bretonia.

Juni steered the Rhino freighter away from Freeport 4 and the fighting as she attempted to avoid being drawn into combat. All that was left was for Kira and Tolle to return so that they could escape to Leeds as planned.

* * *

**Open Space, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"It's impossible!" Tolle wanted to follow Juni's instruction and retreat, but the fierce fighting simply prevented him from doing so. One hit from the Buster Gundam's gun launcher and his GINN HM would be vaporized without a trace.

Being equipped with extra thrusters meant that Tolle was able to out-maneuver the Buster, but as always, his suit's lack of beam weaponry basically meant that his attacks had no effect. The phase shift armor would simply repel the rounds from his assault rifle while striking with the bayonet had no apparent effect as well. To make matters worst, the beam weaponry the Buster was using would punch through the GINN HM's conventional armor without any difficulty. Turning back to retreat would only leave Tolle's back exposed to the enemy, and with Dearka proving to be an able sharpshooter, that was certainly a very bad idea.

Just behind him was the fast advancing Rheinland battleship _Vesalius_, Rau Le Creseut's ship. The main cannons of the battleship seemed to be in perfect harmony with the Buster, firing when Dearka was aiming and stopping when he was firing. It was clear from the onset that the _Vesalius_ was aiming for Tolle as he happened to be the closest to it. Tolle looked to his right and spotted a Rheinland GINN closing in to provide additional support for Dearka.

"Not good. I will be overpowered if this keeps up!" Tolle agreed with Juni's order to retreat, but was still short on ideas on how to do it without turning into a target board for his enemies.

The alarm sounded and the monitor flashed a warning. Knowing exactly what to do, Tolle pulled hard on the controls and applied just the right amount of power to the thrusters, pulling the GINN HM away from a pair green lasers at the very last moment. Almost immediately, Tolle had to zigzag his way through numerous debris as Dearka took the chance and went for the kill.

"Damn. This guy sure knows how to move about," Dearka's latest attack once again failed as the GINN HM's speed proved to be a huge stumbling block to him. The Buster was clearly not fast enough to deal with the speedy GINN HM as Tolle ran circles around him, hoping to spot a chance to escape without the risk of being hit.

With one eye on the Buster and one on the scanners, Tolle's worries grew deeper. It would only take seconds for the GINNs that had just launched from the _Vesalius _to reach him. Furthermore, he noticed a slightly different machine launching from the enemy ship, recognizing it as a CGUE. There was no more time to waste as Tolle risked being overwhelmed by the enemy's numbers if he delayed his retreat any longer.

"Why don't you just die now!" taking advantage of Tolle's indecisiveness, Dearka managed to get a clean aim on him and delivered a powerful shot from the Buster's gun launcher.

"Shit!" Tolle cried, his face hitting against the wall of the cockpit as his assault rifle was taken out. Blood trickled down from the side of his forehead as the force of the impact caused the visor of his helmet to crack, causing a small piece of it to cut him. The bleeding blinded him for a moment as he tried desperately to regain control of his GINN HM.

"You're finished!" Dearka was certain of victory as his enemy looked sluggish after that last hit. Even if it regained its movement from before, the GINN HM would just be a toothless enemy without its assault rifle.

His right eye blinded by the endless trickle of blood flowing from his forehead, Tolle's vision was down to his left eye and a cracked visor. The GINN HM had nothing left to attack and to make matters worst, he could see that the Buster's gun launcher was aimed straight at him, ready to destroy him with one final shot. Time was running out fast – he had to do something. If only he had something to shoot with, or some weapon to slice through the enemy, or maybe some shield to protect him from the blast.

A glance to the right yielded nothing. He looked left and saw a metal piece within reach. It was probably what was left of a destroyed fighter, not that it mattered in that situation. There was no time for him to complain. Tolle grabbed the disfigured piece of metal and hurled it at the Buster, not caring if it would actually hit or not.

The hurried attempt did not hit the Buster as expected, but it did cause Dearka to delay his short for a brief moment – enough for Tolle to regain his focus and steer his machine clear of the shot.

"Not again!" Dearka could not believe that he allowed Tolle to distract him. A small metal piece would have had no effect on phase shift armor. He knew that, yet human instinct told him to avoid it. His body had no choice but to obey what common sense instructed him to do.

The GINN HM's thrusters were in full swing now, pushing the frame of the mobile suit through the frictionless space and stubbornly refusing to be shot down. Tolle spotted a flat metal panel to his right, clearly once belonging to the wings of an Eagle VHF. _Is that Zeke's fighter?_ A thought flashed in Tolle's mind, but he quickly brushed it off. _What was I thinking? Zeke retreated from the battle just minutes ago. I cannot lose focus!_

Moving like it was an extension of Tolle's body, the GINN HM picked up the metal panel and sent it flying straight at the Buster. The throw was more accurate this time, the panel's trajectory heading straight for the Buster's center portion. Dearka, however, was more prepared as well.

"The same trick won't work twice!"

Like a true marksman, Dearka never kept his aim off. He knew where the GINN HM was when it tossed the metal panel at him, even if his view was blocked. The Buster was not the most maneuverable machine, but it was still sufficiently quick to dodge without much of a problem. Dearka moved the Buster to its left, missing the panel with the narrowest of margin. Moving as little as possible was the best way to prevent his aim from straying, and Dearka played it to perfection. Little tricks like that would not work twice against a well trained soldier like him.

Dearka held his breath as he readied himself to pull the trigger, but something was amiss. The target he thought was right in front of him wasn't. What was supposed to be a straightforward shot did not happen. His enemy, it seemed, was one step ahead.

It was risky gamble, but Tolle was glad he took it. He had guessed that Dearka would dodge the panel by moving left and moved to the Buster's blind spot when he threw the panel. If he had guessed wrongly and Dearka moved to the right, Tolle would be directly in front of the enemy. But all those meant nothing as his gamble had paid off.

"Don't look down on me!" taking a page of an action movie, Tolle delivered a hard kick on the arms of the Buster, making full use of his suit's momentum to increase the impact.

"Darn! How did he?" Dearka cursed as the Buster lost grip of its gun launcher and high energy beam rifle, both of which were combined then. There was no way he could fire his missiles at such a close range and the Buster wasn't equipped with any melee weapons.

Tolle saw that his plan to disarm the Buster was successful and turned back, powering his thrusters to maximum as he made a quick retreat. It would take some time for Dearka to recover his weapons and he would be long gone by then.

"It can't be!" a hasty salvo of missiles did little for Dearka as Tolle easily avoided them. Picking up his gun launcher, Dearka could only grunt in frustration as the speedy GINN HM was out of range before he could even muster any additional shots.

* * *

The monitor display in the cockpit was mostly flashing lights of red, displaying nothing but the positions of hostiles and reminding Mu of the limits of his mobile armor. He took a quick look at the status of his machine and realized to his dismay that several parts were close to overheating, a result of his tough battle against the Aegis. The only thing that had kept him alive so far was his superior experience against the opponent. Mu could see that the pilot of the Aegis was exceptionally talented, but his raw skills still needed time to be developed before he could be regarded as an ace pilot. Even then, the capabilities of the Aegis Gundam more than tipped the balance to the enemy's side, and Mu was starting to feel like he would not last longer as the Moebius Zero started to approach its limits.

"Murrue!" Mu was still more concerned about the rest than his own situation, "Have Kira and Tolle returned?"

"Only Tolle!" the reply came after a few seconds, "Juni confirmed that Tolle had safely returned to the Rhino, but his GINN HM was minus its assault rifle."

"That means he's combat ineffective," Mu replied.

"Kira is still having difficulty with the Duel!" Murrue added.

"So am I!" Mu somehow found the mood to laugh at his own precarious situation.

The Aegis transformed to its mobile armor mode and fired the "Scylla" energy cannon, forcing Mu to veer hard to his right. The powerful shot did not miss by much, and Mu could almost feel the beam passed by his mobile armor. He quickly detached his wired gun barrels as Athrun was transforming back to mobile suit mode, making sure to attack while his opponent was in his weakest state. The subsequent volleys from his four gun barrels almost did the job, had it not for sharp reflexes and quick thinking on Athrun's side.

A Rheinland GINN emerged from behind the Aegis and fired on the Moebius Zero, but Mu was alert enough to spot it before any damage could be done. He expertly accelerated his mobile armor and threw the GINN pilot's aim off.

"Markus, I'll leave this guy to you!" with one mind on the fight between Kira and Yzak, Athrun was keen to avoid a fight with Mu. There was no telling what might happen to Kira considering that Yzak was in no mood to lose his fight.

Mu saw through Athrun's intention and wasn't ready to give up just yet. The GINN pilot proved to be no match for the former LSF ace and was quickly taken apart by his gun barrels. Retrieving the wired pods to the Moebius Zero's main body, Mu immediately gave chase, swearing in his mind not to allow the Aegis to aid the Duel.

"Stop bothering me!" Athrun had no choice but to halt his advance as a couple of shots from the Moebius Zero's linear gun threw him off balance. Mu quickly caught up and resumed his attacks. The Aegis was protected by the phase shift armor, but even that would fail if Mu was given the chance to repeatedly hammer it with shot after shot. The phase shift armor was an energy guzzler, after all.

"Kira, retreat now! I can't hold any longer!" Mu shouted. He was starting to wonder if Kira would be able to survive this fight. Even as he fought hard with the Aegis, Mu could see that Kira was struggling to match the Duel's aggressiveness. Worrying thoughts filled his mind as the idea of losing Kira was not what Mu wanted – not when they were so close to escaping to Bretonia.

* * *

**Pilot's Room, **_**Vesalius**_**, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

A forlorn figure greeted Sai as he stepped into the pilot's room. He had reckoned that Flay would be in there and wasn't surprised when he saw her.

"What's your decision, Flay? Are you going out?" he asked.

Already dressed in her flight suit, Flay looked prepared from the outside, but inside her mind were only countless struggles. Something within her was screaming for revenge, to make the person who made her suffer pay twice over. Another voice within her asked for answers, dying to know what exactly happened. Yet, her heart and emotions seemed to be pointing at another direction.

Sai looked on worriedly. "Flay, are you okay?"

"He said he would return."

"Forget about the past, Flay. He's our enemy now," Sai did not like the fact that Flay was still clinging on to the past. She had always tried to act like she wasn't affected by it, but he knew her better than anyone else.

Flay continued to stare blankly at the floor. A short pause later, she spoke again. "I'm launching."

"And what are you going to do? Go on a rampage like Yzak?" Sai positioned his body to block the exit, positive that Flay was not in a right state of mind to enter the battle.

"Haven't I said it all the time? I will definitely kill him with my own hands," Flay did not bother to look Sai in the eye as she pushed him away.

Sai shook his head in disagreement, "You're lying."

Flay's heart raced for a moment. She stopped briefly, then continued to walk towards the hanger. She chose not to respond to Sai's words as she stubbornly refuted his claims in her mind. But even as she convinced herself that she would show no mercy, there was no denying what her heart was actually earning for. She just wanted to see Kira again.

* * *

**Open Space, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

It was only a matter of time before his opponent would fall, and Yzak knew it better than anyone. His offensive minded approach had forced Kira to be on the defensive and with Athrun occupied with fighting the Moebius Zero, there would be no one to interrupt his fight. After enduring for so long the tormenting guilt of killing Miguel by mistake, Yzak could finally exorcise that painful memory by taking down the Strike once and for all. The very thought of avenging Miguel's death, as well as his own humiliation, pushed Yzak to intensify his attacks.

The number of fighters defending Freeport 4 was still a figure to behold with, but with Rau Le Creuset personally fighting against them, the pathetic Zoners did not have a single chance. All these meant that the Strike was his alone for the taking. No one was going to snatch the prize from right under his nose.

"Why don't you die already, Kira Yamato!" swinging down the Duel's beam saber in a fluid motion, the Strike's beam rifle was cut in half, effectively forcing Kira to resort to close combat.

A look at the scanners worried Kira. The Rheinland forces were slowly but surely gaining an edge over the Zoners despite their smaller numbers. The Eagle VHF might be one of the best fighter ships around, but against the technologically superior GINNs, there were reduced to nothing more than cannon fodders. While the two Dromedary freighters and Rhino freighter that were supposed to carry them to Bretonia were well out of range of the battle, it was only a matter of time before the Rheinlanders overpower the Zoners and go after them. Whether Juni and the rest could escape to Bretonia alive fully depended on whether he and the rest still fighting could safely retreat from the battle. At the way things were going, however, Kira could not see how he could overcome the Duel.

The alarm sounded, warning Kira of an incoming strike to his right. His body reacted and tried to pull the Strike out of the way, but it was too late as the Duel's beam saber was too fast. Kira twirled the Strike to its left and blocked the slash with his shield, but Yzak quickly followed up with another forceful downward swing aiming for the Strike's head. The beam rifle was no more and Kira resorted to his beam saber, whipping it out at the nick of time to parry Yzak's attack. Sparks flew as the beam sabers clashed several times.

_Am I going to die here? Will everything really turn out fine?_ Little by little, Kira found his spirit eaten up by the continued aggressiveness of Yzak's attempts to take him down. He tried to launch an attack of his own, but his half-hearted attempts were easily neutralized by Yzak.

"You're not going anywhere!" Yzak could see that the Strike was trying to escape from the battle, but he wasn't going to allow it to happen.

He pulled the Duel ahead and cut off the Strike's intended path of escape, keeping his beam rifle aimed at his opponent. "Why don't you just give up, Kira Yamato? You know there is no way of defeating me."

"I'm not going down here!" Kira retorted, though he was already out of ideas. One look at the Strike's power meter further dampened his chances as more than three quarters of the battery was used up.

"Acting tough?" Yzak smirked, fully confident that Kira was truly defeated. "Your suit should be running out of power by now. You will definitely die today!"

Despite how it looked, Kira still refused to give up, especially with his life on the line. "If my power is running out, then yours should be as well. We're both facing the same problem!"

"Not a chance, amateur! I took care not to waste my precious energy, unlike you!" Yzak looked at his own power meter even as he spoke, not intending to admit that he, too, was running low on power. It would not matter, however, as he was close to victory. He would destroy the Strike before the power is depleted.

"Now or never," Kira muttered softly as he made the first move.

Yzak grinned as the Strike rushed towards him in a foolish headlong attack. "Looks like you're trying to rush your death! Fine, I shall happily grant that wish of yours!"

Betting his entire life with a desperate attack, Kira had hoped to take Yzak by surprise with his sudden move. Yzak, however, was not to be fooled, easily dodging the attack.

"You're open!" Yzak wasn't slow to spot the Strike's exposed torso as Kira's brash attack failed completely. "Goodbye, Kira Ya..." a sudden explosion rocked the Duel hard. "What the heck?" Yzak exclaimed in shock as his beam saber was blown off.

It wasn't what he had expected, but Kira did not mind his luck. He kept silent as a black CGUE stood between him and the Duel, its machine gun pointed not at him, but the Duel.

Yzak felt like his blood vessels were about to burst as the stared at the unwelcomed guest. "Flay Allster."

* * *

**Dromedary 1, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"Are the turrets online?" Murrue asked, ready to provide backup once Mu was ready to return.

"They're online and ready for firing!" Natarle answered, "But more importantly, will they be able to make it? If we don't escape now, it will be too late once the Rheinlanders break through the Zoners defense!"

"Are you telling me to abandon them? They chose to join the battle to buy us time to leave Freeport 4 in one piece, and now you're talking like we should abandon them!" Murrue was not happy to hear that Natarle was eager to head for the New London Jump Gate at the expense of Mu.

"We will never make it if we delay any further! Our survival is essential to Liberty's fate, captain!" Natarle replied, much to the ire of Murrue.

"We'll wait!" Murrue stood firm to her decision.

"Captain!" Natarle could not believe that Murrue chose such an irrational decision. If all of them were to perish in this battle, there would no one left to warn the President of Rheinland's intentions. Even if they had to abandon Mu in the battlefield, Natarle felt that it was for the better of the entire Liberty population.

"Enough!" Murrue dismissed Natarle's protest. "We will all make it out of here, alive."

Feeling that Murrue was allowing her emotions to control her decisions, Natarle searched through her mind for another way out. _That's it! Why didn't I think of that earlier?_ A solution flashed through her mind as she thought carefully.

"Captain, we have Lacus Clyne in our hands!"

"So what about it?" Murrue had no idea of what Natarle was trying to suggest.

"She's a famous figure throughout Sirius, especially in Rheinland. They will stop the attack if they know she's with us!" Natarle explained, hoping that her suggestion would be taken.

"You can't be serious!" Natarle's suggestion had caught even Neumann by surprise, "You're saying we should blackmail them?"

Murrue stood up in anger as Natarle's intention to use Lacus as a hostage went against her morals. "Ensign Badgiruel, that's a human life we're talking about! I will not go to such lowly means to save my life!"

Natarle took a deep breath. "I'm not suggesting we take her life. We just need to use Lacus Clyne as a bargain – a bargain to ensure our safety. This isn't the time to talk about whether we're being ethical or not. We have to get out of here alive so that we can warn the President, and we will in turn avoid a potentially damaging war! Lieutenant Ramius, this isn't the time for emotions or morals. You have to make a rational choice! You either abandon those still stuck in the battlefield or you save them by holding Lacus Clyne as hostage!"

"Ensign Badgiruel!" Murrue was looking at the Rhino freighter where Lacus was in even as she glared at Natarle. _This can't be. Is there really no other way?_

* * *

**Open Space, Outside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

The breathing was deep as Kira gasped for air. He could only watch in silence as the black CGUE faced off with the Duel. He was certain that the CGUE that just barged in was one of those he fought in Alaska; how it turned out to be his savior had him puzzled. Wasn't that black CGUE supposed to be his enemy? Why did it stop the Duel from dealing the finishing blow?

"Flay Allster, what are you doing?" Yzak was far from happy that his fight was interrupted, even more so when it was done by someone from the same side.

Flay did not bother to answer Yzak's question. Instead, she opened up a communication channel with the Strike, making sure not to let anyone else tap into their conversation.

"Kira Yamato, I've waited long enough."

_This voice – where exactly did I hear it?_ Kira remained silent, his brain unable to formulate any sort of response.

"Damn it, Flay! Answer me!" Yzak pointed the beam rifle at Flay's CGUE, clearly in dispute with her earlier actions.

"Stop it, Yzak. Let Flay handle him," Sai stepped in to prevent Yzak from doing anything rash. "She's got some questions for Kira."

"Questions?" Yzak scoffed at Sai's request, and then shifted his aim back to the Strike, "What kind of questions can she possibly ask him? Tell her to get the hell out of my way, or I'll shoot her myself."

Flay ignored Yzak, instead allowing Sai to try to reason with him. She knew Yzak would not shoot her immediately; rash as he might be, he wasn't the type to fire at a teammate just because of some difference in opinions or actions. He would, however, had no hesitation when it came to gunning down the enemy. Flay was fully aware that time was not on her side.

"Kira, do you know who I am?" Flay tried again, this time with a softer tone.

Having no memory of her, Kira answered in full honesty. "No, I don't," he said.

"You don't?" Flay's hands were shaking as she struggled to contain her emotions, "But I know you, Kira."

"Who are you? Why did you save me?" Kira asked.

"Flay! Flay Allster! Doesn't this name sound familiar to you? Does my name really mean nothing to you?" Flay lost grip of her emotions and raised her voice upon hearing Kira's question. To have him asking for her name was a huge blow emotionally.

"Enough!" Yzak could no longer hold himself back. Flay's conversation with Kira, however brief, was still too long for his liking. His fingers depressed the trigger without further consideration and sent a beam straight at the Strike. Kira managed to block it, but Yzak wasn't done yet.

The sight of Yzak charging towards the Strike was the last thing she wanted to see. Flay stomped her foot on the pedal and her CGUE's thrusters kicked into high gear. The CGUE's Vulcan gun was fired and its rounds slammed into the back of the Duel. The Duel was not damaged by the shot, but was slowed sufficiently to allow Flay to catch up and slice Yzak's beam rifle by half.

Having his beam rifle destroyed by Flay was the last straw. Yzak drew his last remaining beam saber and diverted his attention to Flay, determined to cut her down for interfering in his fight.

"You traitor!" Yzak screamed as he swung his beam saber without remorse.

"Stop it!" Sai shouted in desperation as he was too far from the action to stop either of them. From the way things were going, it seemed that Flay had no chance against a rage driven Yzak.

_Stop it! Isn't she your teammate? _Having his enemy fighting against each other was a golden opportunity for Kira to escape safely, but his heart had other ideas. He could not explain it, but his body did not seem willing to let that black CGUE come into any harm. That girl whom he had no memory of, the girl who introduced herself as Flay Allster; Kira had an unstoppable urge to reach out and save her from Yzak's beam saber.

_I need to do something. I have to save her. I need to..._

An adrenalin rush came, one unlike any he had encountered before. All of a sudden, his blood flow increased. His mind went blank for a brief moment and within his sub consciousness, Kira felt a renewed vigor overtaking his body. It seemed as if that sudden aggression he had encountered in previous battle had once more return, except for a slight difference. Within his mind, Kira saw the image of an amethyst seed dropping and then exploding. His pupils shrank while his iris expanded and all of a sudden, he found himself piloting the Strike like it was an extension of his body.

"Flay!" Kira cried out as the Strike smashed its shield into the Duel, causing it to be violently pushed back.

"Damn it! Are a freaking curse or what? Why must you always get in my way?" Yzak pelted the Strike with the head mounted Igelstellung CIWS as he tried to confuse Kira.

Unfazed by whatever Yzak was throwing at him, Kira whipped out his beam saber and sent a stab straight for the Duel's center torso. Yzak edged his suit to the right and manage to suffer only a scrap by the beam saber. That attack, however, had effectively peeled off the phase shift armor protecting the left side of the Duel's torso.

"How can he move so fast?" Yzak tried counterattacking with his beam saber, but all his attempts were either blocked or evaded entirely. "Help me, Sai!" he shouted as Sai was simply watching them fight.

Having previously known Kira personally, Sai knew the destruction Kira was capable of pulling off. He knew better than to fight Kira when he was in SEED mode. "Not a chance, Yzak. I suggest you pull back. He's a carrier of the SEED, just in case you're clueless about it."

"You can't be serious! This wimp can go SEED mode?" Yzak exclaimed in disbelief, "How come no one told me about it?"

"That's because no one dared to approach you! You're just like a firecracker ready to explode at any time!" Sai was about to fight Kira at such a time and decided to head back. He was originally not included in Rau's mission plans anyway. "Let's head back for now, Flay," he said to Flay.

"Kira Yamato! You're not getting away!" Yzak pulled one last maneuver on the Strike, but was once again denied by its deft movements.

Kira saw on his scanners that Hanse and Lezzy had retreated while Mu could no longer keep up with the Aegis, which was coming straight for him. It was time to end the fight. "That's it! I'm ending this fight now!"

Charging directly at the Duel, Kira expertly evaded Yzak's beam saber before swiping his own beam saber at the enemy's left arm. The Duel lost its shield in that attack, but Yzak used his beam saber to destroy the Strike's beam saber. Kira had a choice between using his last remaining beam saber or to rely on the "Armor Schneider" combat knives. He settled on using the combat knives and aimed for the exposed left side of the Duel's torso. The stab connected and send sparks flying all over in the Duel's cockpit.

"How did he?" Yzak watched as one the monitors burst into flames, causing his helmet's visor to be shattered. "Argh!" Yzak cried out as his face was cut in the process.

"Yzak! Are you alright?" Dearka had just arrived when he saw the Duel being stabbed by the Strike's combat knife.

"It hurts!" Yzak clutched his face in pain as blood flowed out from his deep gash.

"We have to bring him back!" Dearka quickly went to the Duel's side, "Besides, the Freeport 4 defenders are just about finished. Let the Strike escape for now. They won't be able to run from us any longer."

"I agree!" Sai nodded as he went to help the Duel as well. He looked around to locate Flay, but saw no signs of her. "Flay? Where are you?" he tried to radio Flay's CGUE, but received no response.

* * *

**Inside Freeport 4, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"That's the last of them, commander."

Rau nodded in satisfaction. The commandoes had done their job and the survivors from the _Archangel_ were all that's left. "Pull out and destroy the station. We will continue our pursuit of the Strike and its companions."

"Yes sir!" the GINNs that accompanied Rau exited Freeport 4 immediately, not daring to delay their carrying out of his orders.

* * *

**Dromedary 1, Open Space, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

* * *

"The Zoners have been completely defeated?" Murrue had not expected the Freeport 4 defenders to fall so quickly, and her shocked expression fully showed how she felt.

"With the Zoners out of the game, Rau will definitely split his forces to pursue us!" Natarle added.

"Lieutenant La Flaga will be back shortly, whereas Hanse Marion and Lezzy have both returned. Their Dromedary has already started its cruise engines and will be out of the area soon," Chandra said as he checked on the status of the other two freighters.

"What about the Rhino? Has Kira returned yet?" Murrue asked.

"Not yet!" Natarle replied, "Rau himself is heading towards the Rhino, along with the Aegis and Blitz! Judging by the situation, Juni's group will be unable to escape without a fight!"

Murrue dropped her head as the severity of their problems grew. "They're concentrating their attention on the Strike. If this goes on, only the two Dromedaries will make it out of here alive."

"Captain, Lacus Clyne is still in their hands!" Natarle pressed on with her earlier request to use Lacus as a bargaining tool, "If you don't threaten them, they will all perish, along with Lacus Clyne!"

Murrue thought hard and realized that they had no choice, but she was still reluctant to make use of Lacus.

Natarle had enough and took matters in her own hands. "If you're not doing it," she said as she snatched the communications control from Chandra, "Then I will do the dirty job!"

* * *

**Open Space, Near Rhino Freighter, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

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The enemy was closing in fast and he was the only one left to fight. The Rheinlanders, it seems, had decided to focus their firepower on them. Hanse's and Murrue's group were completely ignored. As he had suspected, they placed the elimination of the Strike and himself as the highest priority.

Kira turned the Strike into the direction of the black CGUE that had followed him closely during his retreat. "Are you going to bring me down as well?"

Flay had the CGUE's machine gun pointed at the Strike, but she wasn't ready to fire just yet. "Kira Yamato, you broke your promise. You said you would return."

First, it was Athrun. Now, someone named Flay Allster was claiming to be a close acquaintance of him. Judging by the tone of her voice, though, Kira could somehow guess that they were more than just friends. Just like how he had that unreal feeling that Athrun was a close friend of his, Kira was able to sense some sort of connection with Flay despite having no memory of her at all.

_Just who am I?_ At a loss at what had just happened, Kira was starting to doubt the very existence of what he had believed to be true so far. His life in Leeds, his foster father who had taken care of him since young, even his best friend Tolle. All the happy memories he had seemed to contradict what he had heard from Athrun so far. There was no mention of him being a Coordinator and no mention of a person named Athrun Zala. He did not have any knowledge of any girl by the name of Flay Allster, and Tobias never mentioned their names as well. Yet, Kira had a sense of déjà vu when he made contact with Athrun and now, Flay. Maybe, just maybe, she might be able to shed more light about this past he had no knowledge of.

"Flay?" Kira's voice was shaky as he felt fearful of knowing about this unknown past, "Could you tell me more? I just feel like I know you, but my mind doesn't seem to agree."

"You feel like you know me?" It wasn't the best answer she had hoped for, but Kira's willingness to reconcile with her gave Flay a glimmer of hope. She edged her CGUE forward, lowering her machine gun in the process. Whatever hostility she might have previously was gone, the hatred that once consumed her had vanished. Now, all she wanted to do was to get closer to Kira. She did not care if it would take some time for Kira to regain his memory. All that really mattered was that she could finally be reunited with him, if she had the luxury of time, that is.

"There is no escape now, Kira Yamato."

Flay trembled at the chilling voice that came though the radio, the voice that never failed to send a shiver down her spine, the voice of Rau Le Creuset.

_**End of Chapter 17**_

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_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges, Damian Graves, Maximilian Stone**_

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_**The surprise attack by Rau forced Kira & Co. to enter a battle they did not anticipate. With the Zoners completely defeated by Rau's squad, Juni's group was quickly tracked down by Rau personally. With the Strike's power close to being depleted, will Kira be able to defend against Rau? Will Flay's presence affect the outcome? And just what kind of past relationship did Flay had with Kira?**_

_**Well, this is an entire chapter of non-stop action. To be honest, my original plan was for Kira to reach Leeds by the end of this chapter, but it went longer than expected. Anyway, I hope I described the battle well enough, along with Kira's encounter with Flay. I will conclude the battle by the next chapter, so we'll get to see Kira and Tolle back in Leeds very soon. It will be mostly talk and plot development, so you won't see much action for the next chapter except for the start.**_

_**Lastly, I will like to apologize for the late update. School has been really busy this semester and I did not have much time and motivation to type out the chapter. I can't say how long the next chapter will take, but I probably won't be able to post new chapters too frequently until the end of my semester.**_

_**I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading!**_


	21. Ch 18: Homecoming

_**I would like to apologize for not updating this story for the past two months. I was struggling to cope with my studies and admittedly lost motivation. It took me some time to regain the motivation. But now that my exams are finally over, I'm back writing fanfics again. I am still a little rusty after a long layoff from writing, so I hope this chapter will be good enough. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively. **_

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**Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate**

**Chapter 18: Homecoming**

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_--New Chancellor chosen!--_

_In what was described by many as an expected result, Patrick Zala won the approval of the people to take over as Rheinland's new Chancellor. The voting was held yesterday throughout all star systems of House Rheinland and the overwhelming majority favored Patrick Zala over the current Chancellor, Siegel Clyne. Chairman Zala, who currently heads the National Defense Committee, will relinquish his current position once he officially takes over as Rheinland's Chancellor in two months time. Upon confirming his great victory is the votes, Patrick Zala expressed his heartfelt thanks to those who voted for him, promising that he will build on what Chancellor Clyne had achieved and bring Rheinland to a new and prosperous era. Speaking to a press conference hours after his win, Chairman Zala quickly outlined his main aims during his term – to settle the territorial disputes of the Hudson System with House Liberty, to ensure that shipping routes in Rheinland will fall under the control of Republican Shipping again, and to restore Rheinland's past position as a military and economical powerhouse._

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**Open Space, Near Rhino Freighter, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

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Rau did not panic as the CGUE in front of him, painted entirely in black, pointed its machine gun at him. He had full confidence that he had the reflexes to at least block its attempt, and with Athrun and Nicol flanking him, he was not worried about the other opponent. Rau carefully edged his CGUE closer to Flay, not caring that he was facing the barrel of her machine gun. He radioed her, making sure that everyone else in the vicinity was able to listen to their conversation at the same time.

"Well, well, what do you think you are doing, Flay Allster? Pointing your weapon at your commander?"

"Didn't I say it before? I only joined the military to locate Kira. Now that I've found him, I have no further reason to stay on," Flay kept her eyes trained on Rau's CGUE even as she spoke.

Inwardly, Rau was laughing at Flay's naivety. "So you are trying to say that it's your right to just leave like this? I believe you're misunderstanding your position, Flay Allster. Are you forgetting the very purpose of your existence? Have you not realize that the very fact you chose to take up arms was because of a certain betrayal? As far as I can see now, you're just a hypocrite the exact same thing as that traitor behind you!"

"What do you mean by traitor!" Kira could not stomach being called one without any reason.

"My my, Kira Yamato. What was your reaction for? Did I mention your name, or is your guilt finally catching up now," Rau replied, almost to the point of teasing, "Just because you can't remember doesn't erase the very fact that you betrayed Rheinland, Kira Yamato!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. If you're going to destroy us, then bring it on. Just to let you know, I have no intention to go down without a fight," Kira was down to just a single beam saber, but given the situation, he had no choice but to fight.

Kira spared a glance to the Aegis, fully aware that he had to fight Athrun once again. While his memory was still blocked off, Kira somehow knew that Athrun was a close friend of his. The idea of going against Athrun pained Kira, but he was willing to endure it if that was what it would take to protect Juni and Tolle.

"I'm sorry, Kira. I won't hold back this time," Athrun had to fight back his emotions as he drew his beam saber as well. He was just about to start his attack when Natarle's voice caught everyone's attention.

"To all Rheinland forces in the vicinity, currently in our hands is Rheinland Chancellor Siegel Clyne's daughter, Lacus Clyne! We came across her life pod and rescued her for humanitarian reasons. However, should you decide to attack us, we will consider that as abandonment of your responsibilities to protect Miss Clyne. We will then take care of this situation as we see fit."

"What? Lacus, in their hands?" Athrun felt his blood boil as Natarle made the announcement, "How dare they threaten us with her?"

_She's alive? Someone did not do their job properly._ Rau shook his head at the unexpected turn of events. "How generous of you, taking someone in and resorting to such methods once you find yourselves in danger," he said over the radio, "All forces, cease fire."

Athrun turned back as ordered, but not before speaking his mind to Kira. "So you're fighting to protect these people?"

"Athrun..." Kira gave no response. He was in shock at Natarle's move as well.

* * *

**Rhino Freighter, Sector 5E, Magellan System**

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"Is the Strike and CGUE safely secured?" Juni asked as Rau's forces retreated.

"All done," Murdoch, the only mechanic from the _Archangel_ to accompany Juni's group, replied from the cargo hold, "But are you sure about this? I'm not too comfortable about the girl in that CGUE."

"Don't worry. Kira said she's with us," Juni assured him despite being not sure herself.

"If it's what you say so. You're the boss here," Murdoch had to accept it even if he was against taking Flay in. It was not as if they could throw her back out again.

"Pretty unexpected, isn't it?" sitting at one corner, Sinclair turned to Lacus who was sitting beside her, "You suddenly became a hostage."

Unsurprisingly, Lacus responded with a smile. "Everybody's alive, isn't it? That's the most important thing."

Sinclair nodded, "Agreeable. Well, I've got to make myself busy. Gotta check if Kira got any injuries."

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**Dromedary 1, Open Space, Sector 4E, Magellan System**

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"Engaging activation sequence," Neumann chanted out as their freighter began docking sequence with the trade lane heading to the Manchester Jump Gate. Hanse's group had earlier docked with the trade lane and was already on their way, "Activation sequence complete. Lane jump initiated."

The Dromedary was propelled forward at great speeds as they traversed a distance half the diameter of the Magellan System in a matter of minutes, a feat impossible without the help of the trade lanes. Their escape to Bretonia looked successful for now as Rau had stopped his pursue after realizing that Lacus was in their hands. The manner in which Natarle had pulled it off, however, had left Murrue shaken. She hated the fact that a civilian's life was made use of in such a way, yet she could not dispute the fact that it was the only option left. In a way, Murrue was thankful that Natarle was there to do what she dared not to.

"I had to do it, captain," Natarle broke the silence. She did not feel that she had done any wrong, but Natarle just felt compelled to justify her actions, "I hope you understand that I had everyone's well being in mind when I did that, including Miss Clyne's."

Murrue nodded, "I understand. You did well, Natarle."

"I'll go check on the status of Lieutenant La Flaga and Lieutenant Cunningham," Natarle said before leaving the bridge.

Murrue kept quiet as her executive officer left, leaving her as the only officer in the bridge. "Get ready to make the jump to Manchester," she said to Neumann, still feeling uncomfortable despite escaping from another impossible situation.

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**Hesperos II, Planet Astraios, Unknown System**

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It was a rare sight. Ever since he became a Rogue, Damian had never set foot on any of Liberty's planets. As far as he knew, the very rock he was standing on looked just as developed as Planet Manhattan. He had already been amazed when the shuttle he was in approached the beautiful planet – a mostly bluish globe with plenty of white strips representing clouds and one obvious land mass. According to Maximilian, there were two additional continents besides the one he saw. They happened to be on the other side of the globe during their approach. As the shuttle completed the re-entry process and came closer to the surface, Damian could easily pick out the greenery that covered every part of the continent, with the occasional highway that looked out of place among the stunning beauty of Mother Nature. What greeted him next was the outline of a sprawling city, one that easily rivaled those he had seen on Manhattan.

Stepping out of the space port and into the city itself, Damian was greeted by an impressive skyline that seemed to extend beyond the horizon. He took back what he thought earlier – Hesperos II wasn't a city that rivaled those on Manhattan; it was leagues ahead both in terms of size and aesthetics. Unlike the cold and pragmatic mega-cities found on Manhattan, Hesperos II was a pleasing blend of modern skyscrapers and greenery. Even as the city's population of 12 million made Hesperos II the most crowded city on Planet Astraios, the roads never seemed too congested and the streets looked clean and spacious. It was exactly the kind of environment that Liberty could never offer, the kind Damian had always wanted.

"Nice place," Damian commented as the limousine ferried him through the main commercial sector of the city.

"Thank you. Our forefathers toiled hard for centuries to achieve such a result," Maximilian replied, though his face showed little gratitude.

Leaving the busy commercial sector, the limousine soon took them to the center of the city. The density of buildings and people decreased as they neared a grandiose looking structure that seemed to overshadow all that Damian had seen earlier. He soon found out that the structure was larger that it looked as the limousine pulled over beside it, with numerous guards and a substantial amount of military vehicles forming a watertight barrier around the area.

Damian Graves blinked in astonishment as he marveled at the building. "What the heck? Is that a freaking palace right in front of me? Where in Sirius are we?"

There were no changes in Maximilian's expression even as Damian stood dumbfounded at the sight before him. He had all along expected such a response from Damian and wasn't going to bother too much about it.

"Relax, all will be explained in due time," he said.

"You better," Damian was still pretty much in awe as he surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, "I know for sure we're not in the territory of any of the four Houses. How a planet so well developed can exist outside of the four Houses is nothing short of astounding."

"Good to see you back, Lieutenant General Stone."

Coming out to meet them was Zeroun Willard, a tall and dark man with a calm and unwavering expression. Walking with a large stride thanks to his long frame, Zeroun's guards almost broke into a slow jog trying to maintain the same pace as him. He gave a slight nod to Maximilian as he walked over, not caring to even look Damian in the eye. Right from the onset, it was clear that Zeroun's only interest was to meet Maximilian. To him, Damian was just another subordinate, a fact which caused the battle hardened Rogues veteran to inwardly curse at him.

"Lieutenant General? Am I supposed to express my thanks to the First-Prince for this sudden promotion?" Maximilian asked as he signaled Damian to follow him into the palace.

"You can say that the First-Prince is a great admirer of your abilities," Zeroun replied.

"He's a tough one, isn't he?" he did not explicitly mentioned the First-Prince, but it was clear to Zeroun who Maximilian was talking about.

"Efficient, thorough, and not a hint of hesitation. The kind of leader we need to have for a successful invasion," Zeroun said.

Maximilian nodded. "The four great Houses of Sirius will surely be annihilated. The groundwork has already been laid and all we need to do now is to prepare our army."

Zeroun led them down a heavily guarded corridor and very soon, they reached the end of it. He pointed to a door right at the very end of the corridor and turned to Maximilian. "Everyone's waiting inside."

"Let's go introduce ourselves, Damian," Maximilian did not wait further as he stepped into the room the moment one of the guards opened the door.

_Invasion? What the hell is happening?_ Listening quietly as he followed them into the room, Damian did not like what he was hearing. Then again, he did not really care if Sirius was about to be swept by the inferno of war. He had hated that place anyway. To him, it wasn't important if he liked the war or not – he just had to fight it.

* * *

**Rhino Freighter, Near Leeds Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Magellan System**

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"Are you okay?" Sinclair asked worriedly as Kira remained silent for as long as she checked on him, "You've been silent all this while."

Kira shifted his head and took a glance at a girl with red hair standing at one corner, arms crossed. _That's Flay Allster, I guess._ He turned back to Sinclair. "I'm fine, thanks for your concern. I just don't agree with what Natarle did back then, even if her actions did save our lives," he said before closing his eyes to rest.

Sinclair took one last look and was satisfied that Kira wasn't hurt physically, though she could not say the same for his mental state. "A little naïve, aren't you? The world isn't as rosy as you think, Kira. You will learn that some form of sacrifice is always needed to achieve certain things in life. You cannot escape from the cruelty of this world."

"So we just fight one another? Or put the life of others on the line so we can save ours? Surely we can do better than that, right?"

Sinclair let a soft laugh as she pondered about Kira's reply. "You're right, Kira," she said, "But only if you have the power to do so. Check on Tolle once you feel better, okay? He got hurt in that last battle and is currently resting in the bridge."

"Mmm..." Kira softly acknowledged Sinclair's words, but he still felt bitter over all that had happened so far. He looked over at Flay again, unsure if he should go over to her. It was hard to admit, but Kira was fearful of learning the truth about his past.

_Is he going to talk to me or not? What's with that face?_ Flay could only sulk in one corner as Kira hesitated about whether to approach her. It took her so much effort to finally get reunited with him, having to stubbornly believe that he was not dead as claimed by many. Now that she had finally seen Kira, their meeting had turned out to be an uneasy one. Kira had cleanly forgotten about her, their past, all the time they spent together. If that was so, it seems that her efforts to track him down were all in vain. It was like she had to start all over again.

"Can we talk later?" Kira was aware that Flay was waiting for him, but he wanted to have some time alone, "I'll talk to you when we arrive in Leeds, okay?"

Flay remained motionless even as Kira waited for her answer – waiting till they arrive in Leeds was far too much to bear. She wanted Kira to return to her side immediately, not later. Did Kira find another girl while he had amnesia? _He better not._ Flay assured herself that nothing of that sort happened. It took a full minute of awkward silence before Flay stood up and walked towards Kira.

"Hey, Flay, can't we wait till later?" Kira was stumped when she walked over to him and grabbed his arm for no reason.

"I won't bother you. Just let me be by your side," Flay sat down on the steel floor of the makeshift infirmary, resting her head on the bed while holding on to Kira's left arm. "I will never let go of you, never," she said as she closed her eyes, feeling nothing but relief that Kira was once again by her side.

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**Kanzleramt, ****Planet New Berlin, Sector 5F, New Berlin System, Rheinland**

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The Kanzleramt is the headquarters of House Rheinland, a huge compound of buildings that houses the Chancellor's office as well as the offices of the Supreme Council members. Made up of modern buildings built mainly from concrete and glass, the Kanzleramt is a new facility that was completed only two years ago.

Patrick Zala looked out from his office window as the skyline of the Rheinland capital greeted him. He did not particularly like such a view, but it would soon not matter once he moves to the Chancellor's office in one week time where the beautiful scenery of a lake would greet him instead. The soon to be Chancellor went back to his desk and tapped his fingers impatiently. Seconds later, the phone rang and his hand shot straight out to pick it up. It was a call he had been waiting all morning and Patrick was just glad that it came.

"Has the Lieutenant-General reached the palace?" Patrick got down to business as soon as he picked up the call.

"Yes, he has," the unmistakable voice of RomanSchnetzler was on the other side of the call.

"Excellent, make sure he understands our operation fully. I'll expect you to coordinate closely with him while I make preparations here. The attack will be initiated in two months time, give or take. I'll expect him to be ready by then," Patrick continued as he scrutinized the blueprints of a weapon displayed on his computer.

"By the way, Chancellor Zala, have you received the blueprints yet? It is Joel's final design and our engineers are already busy with its construction," Roman asked.

"Yes, I have," Patrick nodded, his face seemed to indicate that he was pleased with what he saw, "I'm very impressed by his design."

"I'll convey your praise to him later, Chancellor Zala."

Patrick glanced at the time and realized that it was time to attend another press conference. "I have to go now. Make sure there are no hiccups in our preparations, and pass my report to the First-Prince as soon as possible. And for the record, Roman, I'm not yet the Chancellor."

"I'll keep that in mind, sir."

Placing down the phone calmly, Patrick straightened his suit and lifted his tall frame from the chair. Picking up a briefcase by the side of the desk, he made his way to the exit of his office. "It's finally time. I will finish the work my father started and leave this forgettable place."

The time was drawing closer and there was little time to waste. Patrick cleared his minds of any doubts of his plans, convincing himself that no loopholes could be found. He glanced at his watch and quickened his pace down the long corridor. It was time to put his plans into motion – the day where history would be made was arriving soon.

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**Bridge, Rhino Freighter, Magellan Jump Hole, Sector 6F, Leeds System**

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"Welcome to Leeds," Tolle raised his arms in joy, disregarding the fact that part of his face was bandaged. The deep cut he received from the earlier battle wasn't going to dampen his mood.

"Congratulations, Tolle. It's home sweet home for you," Juni was glad to have finally reached Leeds, but their journey was far from over. "Now, how do we get to Planet Leeds from here?" she muttered as her eyes scanned the map of the system.

"Right here," Tolle helpfully pointed out the exact location, saving Juni some time having to search for it.

"Alright, auto-pilot is done. Let's go see how Kira is doing, shall we?" Juni had not seen Kira since the battle started and was naturally anxious about his condition.

"Don't worry, Juni. Kira's doing far better than this punch bag here," Sinclair poked her fingers into Tolle's ribs, much to the annoyance of the latter. "He wasn't hurt anywhere. A nice rest is probably all he needs."

Juni nodded in relief. "That's goods news. But still," Juni stood up, "I've got to check on him. Anyone coming with me?"

"Of course!" Lacus readily agreed to accompany Juni.

"Yup, coming!" Tolle and Sinclair followed suit as well and headed for the makeshift infirmary located at one corner of the Rhino's cargo hold.

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**Rau's Personal Quarters, **_**Vesalius**_**, Sector 3C, Magellan System**

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Rau read the report patiently as he scrutinized every detail in it, making sure not to miss out on any important information. He tightened his grip of the report when he felt that something was amiss in the report, only to relax moments later after he noticed additional details that satisfied his stringent requirements at the next page. He switched to his computer a while later and spent a minute or so typing out his own report, then picked up the report again and continued from where he had stopped earlier. Sipping a cup of coffee as he came to the last part of the report, Rau finally have an approving nod and placed the report down. He looked up to Ades, who had been standing there for as long as he was reading the report.

Rau's face seemed a bit tenser than usual, but his tone still sounded calm and relaxed. "Good job, Ades," he said, "I doubt there will be any evidence that Freeport 4's destruction was done by us. Try to push the blame to The Order if you can, but it's not really necessary."

"Yes sir, I understand. I'll see what I can do," Ades grumbled inside his mind at the additional work just assigned to him. Rau might say it was unnecessary, but having worked under Rau for two years, Ades knew that the he _had_ to push the blame to The Order.

"Is there anything else?" Rau saw that Ades had not moved from his spot and guessed that he had something else to say.

Ades hesitated for a while, but curiosity got the better of him. "Commander, why did you order the attack on them? We are supposed to trail them in order to track them that professor, right?"

"It's okay as long as one of them survives. My intention was to destroy the Strike only. Kira Yamato is too dangerous a foe to live alive," Rau explained, showing absolutely no remorse for having plotted the death of hundreds of Zoners as well as numerous civilians who just happened to be in the vicinity at the time of their attack.

"I see, Tolle Koenig would eventually seek the professor out as well," Ades acted like he agreed with Rau's answer, though the truth was that he regarded the attack on Freeport 4 a massacre more than anything. Attacking helpless civilians just to take the life of a few individuals just wasn't what he had signed up for when he enlisted for the army.

"Any more questions?" Rau asked, his dismissive tone suggesting that Ades better get the hell out of the room immediately.

"None, sir. I'll take my leave," Ades was certain he sound shaky as he saluted and left the room. Even after two years of constant contact with Rau, he could never stand the pair of cold, murderous eyes that peeped out of that mask. For once, Ades wished that he had never signed up for this mess. The Rheinland public wanted their nation to be more aggressive in their policies, but being the one who does the actual fighting in order to do so was starting to scare the creeps out of the veteran soldier.

Rau continued eyeing the monitor until Ades left and the door slid close. Opening a drawer to his left, the mercurial commander reached out for a transparent bottle containing nothing but pills. He quickly popped out two pills and rushed them down his throat with a mouthful of water. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Rau felt his muscles loosened a little as the previous discomfort he felt started to disappear.

"Not enough," he breathed heavily as if to savor the two pills that had just been swallowed, "I need more... destruction."

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**Infirmary, Rhino Freighter, Open Space, Sector 6E, Leeds System**

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"That's the girl who defected to our side?" Juni made sure she could be heard by Tolle, but not enough to wake Kira and Flay up, both of whom were asleep.

Tolle shook his head before revealing a cheeky grin on his face. "It's more like she deflected to Kira's side."

"To be honest, I have no idea if..." Juni paused for a moment, "... what's her name again?"

"Flay Allster," Sinclair was the first to answer.

"Yes, Flay Allster. I'm just not sure about letting her to our side," Juni went on with what she wanted to say earlier, "What if she is a spy?"

"You think too much, Juni," Tolle was quick to add his own theory into the equation, "It's pretty clear that she is totally smitten with Kira. You heard it from their conversation in the battle, right? She kept saying things like he promised to return but did not. I bet she is his ex-girlfriend or something."

Sinclair rolled her eyes at Tolle's ridiculous sounding explanation. "And you, his best friend, know nothing about their relationship at all?"

"I had amnesia, right? That's what you said the last time around," Tolle defended himself, willing to accept the fact that he had lost part of his memory for the first time ever.

"Not amnesia," Sinclair quickly corrected him, "You received a memory implant."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Tolle brushed the issue aside as quickly as he started it.

"Anyway, what should we do now? They're both asleep and it's not so nice to wake them up," Juni may be asking the question, but her motion of stepping back was an indication that she had decided to return to the bridge.

All of a sudden, Lacus broke her silence and spoke for the first time. "Nope, I think you just woke one of them up."

"Oh crap. I hope she isn't the type that gets grouchy after being awakened from her sleep," Tolle certainly hoped it wasn't his voice that nudged Flay from her slumber.

"She's looking at you, Tolle. You better apologize for waking her up," Sinclair made sure to step away from Tolle as Flay stared at him with a rather serious look.

"Hi, sorry for waking you up," Tolle said meekly as Flay continued to stare at him.

"Is she angry?" Lacus whispered to Juni who responded by shaking her head.

_This is bad. Is she really that angry that I woke her up?_ Tolle tried to create a thousand and one excuses in his mind with the impression that Flay was upset at him. He somehow felt threatened by Flay's continued staring at him, especially since she was a trained Rheinland soldier. Who knows what vicious moves she might do on him if he could not come up with a passable excuse for waking her up.

Flay, on the other hand, just continued to focus her vision on Tolle. Rubbing her eyes to ensure that she wasn't just hallucinating, Flay stood up and walked towards him. All of a sudden, the serious look on her face vanished and was replaced by one filled with surprise.

"Tolle?"

_Yikes! She knows my name?_ Tolle was plenty certain that he had not introduced himself to her before. "Yes, I'm Tolle," he replied, "How did you know my name?"

It was Flay's turn to be surprised. "You don't know who I am?"

"Huh? This is the first time I've ever met you," Tolle was starting to wonder if Flay had gone mad.

"So you've lost your memory as well, like Kira?" the upbeat face she had just a moment ago was lost as Flay was plunged back to reality. If Tolle had been with Kira all this while and had lost his memory as well, there was no chance of her finding out the truth.

"Lost my memory? What do you mean?" as much as his words were a blow to Flay, Tolle was taken back by what she said. Sinclair's analysis that his memory had been altered might not be a far fetched theory after all.

Flay was searching for answers as well, and she was eager to dig up any clues to how Kira and Tolle ended up without any knowledge of their past. "The two of you went missing two years ago and were thought to be dead. We used to live together, along with Sai and Athrun."

"Athrun?" Lacus was startled at the mention of her fiancé's name, "He never mentioned about any of you."

"He's not supposed..." Flay stopped all of a sudden, realizing she might and divulged a bit too much.

"He's not supposed to what?" Juni's investigative spirit kicked in and she did not like how Flay refused to say anymore, "What is it that you are hiding?"

"It's nothing. Outsiders like you don't need to know anything more than that."

"You're not getting away with it, young miss. The knowledge you have could very well affect my country!" Juni raised her voice in a bid to coerce Flay into revealing more, but such a tactic would not work against a well trained personnel like her.

"Let me warn you about this," Flay's tone changed dramatically as malice was evident in her expression, "The only people I'm sided with are Kira and Tolle. Mess with me and I can assure you won't live to regret it."

"Oh? And what makes you think I can be intimidated by a lass like you?" Juni snarled, her years of experience convincing her that Flay was of no threat to her.

"Hey! Flay, stop it!" Tolle shouted as Flay sprang into action.

It all happened in a breath, her motions seemed a blur to Juni. Before she could even react, Flay had jumped onto her and tackled her to the ground. Thinking she could overpower her opponent, Juni was shocked when both her arms were pinned to the ground. She tried with all her strength to break free, but nothing she tried could work. Despite her lithe frame, Flay's immense strength had completely overwhelmed Juni. Without stopping for a moment, Flay bended Juni's wrist and forced her to lie on her belly, completely restraining her movements. The next thing she knew, Juni was rendered immobile and Flay's palm were firmly on her neck.

_Impossible! How can a girl possess such strength?_ Juni gritted her teeth in silence as she endured the pain in her wrist, refusing to make even a grunt when Flay applied more pressure on it.

"Please, stop it!" Tolle pleaded with Flay to release her hold on Juni, but was unsuccessful as she refused to back down. Her eyes seemed different from before as they seemed to hold a violent and merciless aura instead of her insecure look previously.

"I will choose what I want to say, you got it?" Flay still maintained her grip on Juni's wrist and neck as she waited for an answer.

"Let her go, Flay!"

"Kira?" as if awakened from a trance, Flay immediately let go of her grip on Juni, clueless as to why she even did that in the first place. _What was I doing?_ Flay thought as she wondered how she just went out of control.

"I've had enough of this!" Juni got up and stomped out of the infirmary, her right wrist still in pain.

Kira looked at the stormy scene and was absolutely clueless, having slept through the entire incident until the end. "What happened?" he asked, much to the bemusement of Sinclair.

"Nothing," Sinclair did not know where to begin anyway. She walked out as well, followed by Lacus.

"Flay?" Kira looked at Flay hoping for some answers, but got none in return. He turned to Tolle and got nothing too.

"Go back to sleep, Kira," Tolle said before turning to Flay, "And we'll continue our talk later, with Kira, and in private."

Flay nodded and went back to Kira's side, assuming her previous position where she rested her head on the bed. Kira, meanwhile, was left puzzled and pondering on what exactly happened.

* * *

**Rhino Freighter, Planet Leeds Docking Ring, Sector 6E, Leeds System**

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"You're alright?" Lacus was understandably worried of a fuming Juni when she entered the bridge with Sinclair.

"I'm ok," Juni put up a strong front as she focused on steering the freighter towards the docking ring.

"You're sure?" Sinclair probed further, "Your face seems to suggest otherwise. I can see you're pretty pissed at Flay."

Juni did nothing her hide her anger at Flay, but admitted that she was a little too forceful earlier, "Maybe I should not have spoken so harshly just now."

"It's ok, Juni. Everyone's just a little tense right now. I'm sure the two of you will patch up later," Tolle had just returned to the bridge and promptly offered to replace Juni's position. "I'll do the piloting," he said, "Your arm must be hurting, right?"

"Thanks," Juni happily gave Tolle control of the freighter. She dared not admit it, but her short scuffle with Flay had left her rattled.

* * *

**Palace Compounds, Hesperos II, Planet Astraios, Unknown System**

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"Good afternoon, Lieutenant-General."

Maximilian saluted the man ahead of him respectfully, "It's an honor to meet you in person, Your Highness."

A man in his late thirties, Theodore Christifori motioned for Maximilian to take a seat. He was of average height, with a fit but not overly muscular physique. His brown hair was neatly trimmed and combed back, his intricately designed robe was indication of his authority over all who were in the room. Theodore had an youth like appearance not befitting his age capable of fooling almost anyone into thinking he was just another youngster, but beneath that average face was a capable politician and warrior that was widely feared and respected.

"I believe the damage was done?" Theodore wasted no time in delivering his first question to Maximilian.

"Liberty has been weakened internally, and it will only continue to do so," Maximilian replied, "Patrick Zala has successfully gained control of Rheinland and will certainly be able to carry out his part of the plan."

"That's comforting to hear," Theodore was satisfied that everything was going on smoothly, "From now on, it's our turn to act. The purpose of the meeting today is to finalize our plans for the deployment of the military..."

_A planned invasion? Looks like my job will be pretty hectic in the coming months._ Standing beside Maximilian as the meeting went on, Damian could feel his heart thumping with excitement as he absorbed the details of the plan. He had no idea why Maximilian trusted him so much to allow him to be present in such a high level meeting, but the prospect of war only served to excite him, a feeling he had no received ever since his first mission as a Rogues pilot.

* * *

**Equipment Shop, Planet Leeds, Sector 6E, Leeds System**

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"Nice dealing with you, Tobias."

"Thank you!" Tobias shook the hands of a happy customer as the payment for a tractor beam was received, "You can trust Richard Winston Tobias to make you the best deal anywhere."

Tobias beamed with joy as the latest transaction enabled him to meet his targeted sales amount for the day. His business had been improving day by day and things could not get any better for Tobias.

"Let's see," Tobias took a look at his watch and saw that it was already past his shop's normal operating hours, "Time to call it a day."

Tobias proceeded to lock the door and was about to switch off the lights when the doorbell rang.

"I'm done for the day!" he shouted, eager to get a good rest after a busy day, "Please come back tomorrow!"

"It's me, Tobias!"

Tobias jumped when he heard a familiar voice. "Oh my goodness, I must be hearing things! Those boys are finally back!"

_**End of Chapter 18**_

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_**In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.**_

_**OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges, Damian Graves, Maximilian Stone, Theodore Christifori, Zeroun Willard**_

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_**Kira and Tolle are finally back in Leeds, but not before a fiery encounter between Juni and Flay. The existence of a well developed planet in a star system outside of Sirius space has startled Damian Graves as well. With the inclusion of an unknown system and possibly an unknown nation, how will the fates of the main characters be affected?**_

_**Kira & Co. have finally arrived in Leeds and I hope I got this chapter right. Please tell me if I handled the part where Flay had a conflict with Juni well enough. You will also notice that I have added an additional element outside of the four major Houses, and that Patrick Zala has a connection with them. I will be posting a back-story that will give you an idea on who the additional elements are, and how they came about. I assure that more information will be revealed in due time.**_

_**Once again, I apologize for the extreme lateness for this chapter. Now that my exams are over, I will hopefully be able to update more regularly.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


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